The Aura is With Me
by TestSubject069
Summary: Ash is ready to claim the final Gym badge in Sunyshore City, but when the Sinnoh Champion calls, Team Galactic strikes, and May returns, Ash, his friends, and his Pokemon will uncover mysteries and encounter trials they have never faced before. A formal attempt to merge the anime, games, Aura, quantum mechanics, and our world into one gripping narrative.
1. ---Title Page----

_**i**_**. **Title Page, Table of Contents, Book Summary

* * *

Title: **The Aura is With Me**  
Category: Games » Pokémon; TV Shows » Pokémon  
Author: TestSubject069  
Language: English, Rating: Rated: T  
Genre: Adventure/Romance/Friendship

Published: 07-28-08, Estimated Completed Date: 00-00-15  
Lexile: 1110L

Chapters: 240 _approx._, Words: 1,500,000 _approx._

* * *

**Table of Contents (As it appears on .net)**

Book I:

_Prologue – _Chapter 1

_Arc 1: Battle for the Beacon Badge_ – Chapters 3 thru 20

_Arc 2: Assault on the Team Galactic Base_ – Chapters 21 thru

_Arc 3: ~ - Chapters_

_Epilogue_

Book II:

_Prologue_

_Arc 4: ~ - Chapters_

_Arc 5: ~ - Chapters _

_Arc 6: ~ - Chapters_

_Epilogue_

Book III_:_

_Prologue_

_Arc 4: ~ - Chapters_

_Arc 5: ~ - Chapters_

_Arc 6: ~ - Chapters_

_Epilogue_

* * *

**Fanfiction Summary:**

Ash is ready to claim the final Gym badge but when the Sinnoh Champion calls, Team Galactic strikes, and May returns, Ash his friends, and his Pokémon will uncover mysteries and encounter trials they have never faced before. A formal attempt to merge Pokémon, Aura, quantum mechanics, and our world into one gripping narrative.

* * *

**Summary**

Ash Ketchum is just a normal teenage boy, normal enough for a Pokémon trainer anyway. He may not have won every battle he fought, he's made more mistakes than he would ever admit to, but what sets him apart is something that no other boy his age possesses. Deep within his heart, he nurtures an indomitable passion and an indestructible dream to be the best, the best like nobody ever was. This alone sets him on a collision course with destiny—countless struggles against the strong, immeasurable opportunities to grow, and a chance to prove himself above all the rest. But when his trajectory also crosses paths with champions, the thralls of a visionary criminal syndicates, and the love of his life, this normal teenager may not even be able to overcome the incredible challenges that this dream presents. Join Ash Ketchum as he braves it all with his very best friends in a world filled by the strange and mysterious creatures called Pokémon.


	2. -Assumptions-

_**ii**_**. **Story Assumptions and Sources

* * *

The reader is encouraged to have been previously familiar with the materials that this adaptation of Pokémon draws inspiration from. Barring this circumstance, readers are welcome to investigate elements that they were unfamiliar with before by following the provided links in the _Sources_ section of every chapter and at the bottom of this page.

* * *

**Inheritance from Spheres of Influence:**

_Manga:_ Epic battles as well as the intention for a visual adaptation, Pokémon can learn more than four moves, six ball carrying limit is non-binding, character personalities.

_Games:_ Team Rocket from RGBY, Team Aqua/Magma from RSE, Team Galactic from DPPt, characters from Unova, Cipher and Shadow Pokémon from Colosseum and XD, Pokémon World, HAPPI, and Wigglytuff's Guild from Mystery Dungeon series, and the Ranger Union from the Ranger series.

_Anime:_ Aura, anime physics is applied, no blood, Pokémon League structure, Unova exists as a region, money is scarcely discussed.

_Movies:_ M1-M15, with movies considered canonical.

_Our World_: Classical physics to explain attacks, quantum mechanics to explain energy and Aura, astrophysics to explain the creation of the universe, different religions to provide meaning to existence, spirituality to explain meaning for living.

* * *

**Reader's Responsibility:**

The Aura is With Me story begins before Ash gets his eighth badge in the Sinnoh region, before Team Galactic completes their final operation, and after M12.

_Manga_: Reader should have read the first chapter of Pokémon Adventures to get an impression of what Satoshi Tajiri says is how he envisioned the Pokémon universe to be

_Games_: Reader should have played through Generation I, II, III, IV, and V games, optionally played Colosseum, XD, Mystery Dungeon Blue Rescue Team, Explorers of Sky, Pokémon Ranger

_Anime_: Reader should have watched up to episode 615 or DP 135, Gateway to Ruin and are encouraged to have watched Japanese episodes with subtitles

_Movies_: Reader should have watched movies M1-M12

_Our World_: Reader should have basic understandings of gravity, magnetism, spacial bodies like planets and galaxies, a vague understanding of dimensions, an exposure to more than one religion, and a willingness to think spiritually

* * *

**Time:**

1 second = 1 second.

60 second minutes.

60 minute hours.

24 hour days.

30 day months.

12 month calendar.

360 day years.

8 episodes is roughly equivalent to 1 month.

Average walking distance traveled per day is 3 km.

Timeline begins when Ash is born. 0 years ago/after = Ash birthday.

This story does not begin at a specific year like 1995 or 2012 and time is measured relatively to Ash's birthday at year 0.

* * *

**Character Ages:**

Ash's birthday is assumed to be August 28th. Everyone has their own birthdates relative to Ash.

Ash is 10 years and some days old at the time of leaving Pallet. That puts him at 16 years and 5 months old.

Misty is 11 years and 6 months old at the time of meeting Ash. That puts her at turning 18 in two weeks.

Brock is 12 years and 9 months at the time of meeting Ash. That puts him at nineteen years old.

Tracey is 12 years and 8 months at the time of meeting Ash. That puts him at nineteen years old.

May is 11 years and 6 months old at the time of meeting Ash. That puts her at 15 years and 2 months old.

Max is 7 years old at the time of meeting Ash. That puts him at 10 years and 7 months old.

Dawn is 10 years and 6 months old at the time of meeting Ash. That puts her at 12 years old.

Other character's ages will be revealed only in terms of years within the text and by use of the timeline.


	3. -Author's Preface-

_**iii**_**. **Author's Preface

* * *

This story has been written without ownership of any intellectual property. Those rights are reserved to Nintendo, GAMEFREAK, or The Pokémon Company International where applicable.

* * *

Hello, and thank you for reading my story, _The Aura is With Me_.

This project began in the spring semester of my freshman year in high school as a hobby, never intending to have it published or even seriously read. I'm not sure how I discovered fanfiction, but I'm sure I'll never forget becoming engrossed in it. You see, I was madly enthralled with my childhood obsession and disgusted with Shakespearian iambic pentameter in English class. Naturally, this turned my productive attention to building a fantasy adventure instead—starring a brash ten year old named Ash Ketchum.

_The Aura is With Me_ is my first attempt at writing a complete story as well as my first attempt at fan fiction. Overall, my goal for this project is to combine the world of Pokémon as shown in the anime, movies, manga, and games into one comprehensive world that encompasses everything in its jurisdiction. Additionally, this story will meld our real world, theoretical physics, philosophy, and pure speculation in order to create an enjoyable narrative.

I do not personally view fan fiction as a legitimate form of expression, but I write and read it anyway in rebellion of my own opinions. Formally, I believe that writing within the universe of others is not only dishonest to those creators, but also dishonest to the writer. The reason for overlooking this dissonance in the meantime is simple: fan fiction is supremely fun. With fanfiction, the official story, limited by time, money, producers, and even the creator's own ambition are all wiped away, leaving us fans to develop stories of even more grandeur, intelligence, and imagination. With the experience I hope to gain by writing my own fictions, one day I will realize my ultimate dream to pen an original story. That said, I love everything about my story: the vision, the creative process, and the response I get from fellow fans because of it. This story is my first baby and I coddle it like the precious little booger it is.

Even though Pokémon is largely a kiddy show, kiddy game, and kiddy obsession, it is not without surprising wisdom, life-long lessons, and deep intrinsic value. Objectively it is a billion dollar franchise, but subjectively it has converted otherwise normal kids and teenagers into wannabe creature tamers. Even for a non-fan, it is very hard to find a child who has not heard of Pokémon. But for a current fan, one would be hard pressed not to indulge in a sentence or two (maybe in socially unacceptable amounts) with others who have been touched by this incredible machination. I am not ashamed to say that it is a huge part of my life and I eagerly await to see how the next decades include these curious little blips on a screen.

This fan fiction is the culmination of my obsession, my vision, and my imagination within the universe once started by a shy Japanese bug collector who only received a technical degree. My hopes for the characters, the themes that are herein, and the story that I want to tell could not have been possible without him or his team's efforts. _Doumo arigatou gozaimasu_.

I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I have enjoyed penning it. Without any further ado, please enjoy, _onegai shimasu_!

_-TestSubject069_


	4. --Part One--

"_Death – the final sleep? No. It is the final awakening." – Sir Walter Scott (1__771 – 1832__)_

* * *

Title: **Part One: αρχη**

Category: Games » Pokémon; TV Shows » Pokémon  
Author: TestSubject069  
Language: English, Rating: Rated: T  
Genre: Adventure/Romance/Friendship  
Published: 08-27-08, Complete Date: 01-08-12  
Chapters: 45, Words: 450,000 _approx._


	5. The Last Guardian of Aura

**Prologue: The Last Guardian of Aura**

The Pokémon World has been described as an irreplaceable, riveting, and joyously endless experience. Living a normal, human life is incomplete, only made whole by including Pokémon, the creatures of nature. Pokémon are living, breathing beings, and although there are many species, each individual Pokémon is endowed with its own unique characteristics. Some are born strong. Others are born meek. Some are born with attitude. Others are born reserved. Some become family. Others become warriors. Some species are bountiful. Others are rare. Some are the stuff of legends. Others are the ones that make them. A life without the creatures of nature, Pokémon, would be a life lived regretfully and unfulfilled.

Since the dawn of civilization three million years ago, the first humans had emerged and evolved from nature's common ancestor. But at the time of the universe's creation, some fourteen point six billion years ago, the first Pokémon came to be; the direct decedents of life itself. Humans have existed for less than a hundredth of a second on the universe's timepiece; they are an addition to the already beautiful universe. When the first humans came to be, Pokémon welcomed us, the new species, with open arms. Today, the tradition lives on. Humans and Pokémon coexist together today sometimes as sensei and student, sometimes as person and pet, but always friend and friend.

Yet always is there trouble in the world, ever since the first wrong of humans was recorded. Evil and the plague of this earth was born when the first humans betrayed nature and tilted its delicate balance. For generations since, remnants remain and continue to reflect themselves upon the world. Today this evil exists through cruelty and injustice. Pokémon are sometimes treated as though they are inferior beings, exploited for the sake of power. Even others are used to manipulate the world we live in for personal gain.

The fight against evil is everlasting and the end is not in sight. But there are those who continue in the struggle. Some feel it is their duty. Others are obliged through righteousness. Still, Pokémon and humans alike live to fight evil, they are united, and they are one in the battle for peace. They are destined through the bonds that sustain life itself.

This is the story of humans and Pokémon working together as sensei and student, persons and partners, friends and friends, walking down the path of life to the final destination. Our story begins at three in the morning in a quaint laboratory near Sangdem Town, where an accomplished Professor sits alone with a single lamp light on, unearthing legends.

**[03:43 A.M.] Sangdem Town (Research Institute and Laboratory), Sinnoh Region**

Professor Rowan, as he was formally called, was a professor of Pokémon, similar to many in other regions beyond the seas. At the over-the-hill age of fifty years ago and acclaimed in the field of Pokémon Evolution, he was called by the media, assistants, and colleagues an expert. Regardless of the acclaim he earned, he personally felt as though he knew nothing about what evolution was. Thus, he searched for the answer in published academia under his lamplight.

The assistants had left the laboratory several hours earlier for their family, beds and normal lives, but the Professor again sat at his desk, itching to answer his lifelong question, "What _is_ Pokémon Evolution?"

Every time he met someone new and he tried to explain what he did as a Pokémon professor, he would quizzically ask person questions like "What exactly is Evolution? Why does it pertain to only some Pokémon? Is it that they are more advanced, that they can become more powerful? Then what do we make of the Pokémon that don't evolve? What exactly is the force that allows it to happen?"

Naturally, that person would reply for conversation's sake with responses such as, "Well, it could be that some are supposed to evolve while others aren't because that's the way it is."

Upon hearing repetitive, generic, and empty responses, he would have to give an equally repetitive, generic, and empty reply, "Well, wouldn't that mean there was a creator who specified which Pokémon evolved? How did it create the force to allow Evolution to happen?"

At that preposterous set of questions, the conversation would fade away, leaving only the same questions from before unanswered. Regardless, it is a professor's duty to answer the unanswered, and it was Rowan's self obligated duty to solve his own puzzle.

Tonight, he was about to throw in the towel once again at solving the question that drove him nuts for the past four years of his career. After all, there were so many research papers to sort through and data sets to organize that it would be impossible to come across the answer with a restless set of eyes. He could skip over a potential research paper most pertinent to his problem due to lack of focus or even lack of motivation. But as he was about to close off the light on the desk, an old, dusty graduate-level physics textbook caught his eye, containing aged pages and dry passages. He picked it up and decided to crack it open. It was late, but his mind was in no mood for rest, so a bit of light reading couldn't hurt to calm his nerves.

"Modern Physics and Philosophical Analogies, published by the University of Celadon Press," Rowan said to himself. "Who knows? Maybe there's something novel these authors know that'll take my mind off things. Let's see… the table of contents."

He turned over the worn book over in his hands and sat back down in his seat to begin. For an average person or undergraduate, the list of chapter names would've been enough to create an influx to put the book right back down, but some of the sections were mildly interesting to the professor.

It read, 'Forces of the Physical World', 'Gravity Further Explained', 'Magnetism Further Explained', on and on until finally, the last chapter read Theoretical Original Force. The professor grew intrigued with this title, and decided to investigate. Evolution, he had found, was an actual force similar to gravity and magnetism, but obviously not one experienced on a daily basis and limited to certain individuals for unknown reasons. For all the so-called authority on Evolution knew, Evolution could be a "Theoretical Force". He turned to the corresponding page and began to read.

"The ancient cultures have legends pertaining to the creation of this earth and also the many forces later to be revealed as Gravity, Electromagnetism, and the relatively recently discovered Strong and Weak Nuclear Forces. However, at the time when the legends were inscribed by these cultures, they apparently knew nothing of the forces that we know today. Based off of the primary legends circulating at the time such as _The Original Story_, the ancients understood merely the dimensions, and not the forces that correspond with them.

"According to a particular legend from the Sinnoh Region, the Original One, be this a force, god-like entity, or something otherwise, contained explosive energy before the beginning of time. This legend describes this energy as a contained "egg". Whatever this egg may be, it apparently cracked, thus expanding the universe. This crack came to be largely accepted as the Big Bang, an incomprehensible explosion of energy that created the universe. Whatever happened, according to the legend, the egg existed at a single second, then fractions of a second later, it cracked, or hatched in terms of birth, thus releasing a certain force or energy that later was never duplicated in magnitude or essence."

"Could it be…!" At this, the Professor set the physics textbook down and walked over to his filing cabinet of ancient Sinnoh legends and began to search for the legend, _The Original Story_. "Oh where is it?"

The professor was struck with a sudden but loose connection. Apparently, to preserve the professionalism of publishing a physics book, the authors and editors avoided mentioning Pokémon directly, and therefore addressed mysteries relating to the Pokémon world only if they were relevant to physics. But what jolted the Professor was that the so-called egg of the "Original One", whatever it was, bore similarities to Pokémon eggs before hatching.

"If that is true,"the Professor reasoned. "Then the same force that allows Pokémon to hatch from eggs is the same force that allowed the "Original One" to emerge from its egg and into the new universe! Is that possible?"

At that, he found his saving grace, _The Original Story_. Upon re-reading it, his understanding grew ever deeper.

_In the beginning, there was only_

_a churning turmoil of chaos._

_At the heart of chaos, where all_

_Things became one, appeared an Egg._

_Having tumbled from the vortex, the_

_Egg gave rise to the Original One._

_From itself, two beings the Original_

_One did make._

_Time started to spin._

_Space began to expand._

_From itself again, three living things_

_the Original One did make._

_The two beings wished, and from them,_

_Matter came to be._

_The three living things wished, and_

_From them, spirit came to be._

_The world created, the Original One_

_Took to unyielding sleep..._

"I don't believe it," the Professor murmured to himself. "It's just so simple… Why hadn't I realized this before?"

"What _is_ Pokémon Evolution?" he asked himself. The Professor then knew an answer to at least one of the questions that had been driving him to this slightly cookie state for four years. Now getting Goosebumps from this simple discovery, he replied to himself in the dimly lit laboratory. "It's the force that created the universe! This is insane!

"Am I the only one on this earth that knows this? How could this have eluded so many brilliant minds? Pokémon Evolution is the force that created the universe! It's so ridiculously simple! I must get this out to someone! But whom?

"Oak!" The professor spoke with insight. "He may be the only one who would actually believe me since we've known each other for far too long, but this would be completely ridiculous if I am right! After all there would be no way to actually test it or anything… but at least I can confide with the greatest mind of this age without fear of ridicule."

Walking over to his videophone desk, he grabbed the registrar of numbers off the table and scanned the pages to find his old friend's number.

"If Oak could agree with this, I may be onto something!" Rowan talked out loud. "I have no idea what the force is made of, I don't know how it happened, but I now know at least that it had existed from the very beginning! That alone would be a revolutionary redirection of my research!"

Dialing the number into the videophone, he centered himself in the built-in camera, and patiently waited for a response from Oak, despite his anxiety to get this out immediately to someone for analysis or confirmation. Unfortunately, it was taking slightly longer than usual.

"Come on, please pick up…"

Just after he asked, Professor Oak's face appeared, along with his sleeping garments.

"Wah! Clarke, you've caught me at a bad time! I was just about to sleep! Couldn't you call during the day?"

"Sam, I'm so sorry, but I had to call!" Rowan said, hiding his face with his hand to prevent himself from getting blinded. "I've just made a connection that could change the course of my profession, and I thought you may be able to help me!"

"Oh, alright, fine, but let me get some clothes on!" Samuel Oak gasped, sinking back into the background.

"Fine, fine, sorry!" Rowan apologized again. A few moments passed, and eventually the slightly underdressed Professor returned with a more suitable attire.

"So Clarke my friend, tell me. What do you need?" Oak asked with a wide smile.

"Your advice."

"My advice?"

"Sam, I've told you many times before that I am frustrated. I've written countless articles in the Pokémon Journal of Behavioral Biochemistry and I've given plenty of seminars on identifying when an evolution may occur, and plenty of other academic accomplishments, but so far my life's work has been studying Pokémon Evolution through a functionalist perspective, not through a fundamentalist perspective."

"Indeed… You are the leading authority in this field, but I understand your conundrum. If a breakthrough could be found, then you may be able to transition your attention to fundamentalist research. Did you discover a breakthrough?"

"At the very least, I think I may have discovered a lead!" Professor Rowan exclaimed, his face lit up with enthusiasm. "I haven't done any preliminary research or verification, but I think it's a good start!"

"Well? Let me hear it."

"According to the ancient Sinnoh legend, _The Original Story, _it said that the Original One hatched from an egg and started the expansion of the universe fourteen point six billion years ago. Pokémon are too, born form eggs, and egg hatching is much like Evolution in its own right, correct?"

"Yes, that's correct," Professor Oak pondered out loud, smoothing his chin with his hand. "What do you have in mind, Clarke?"

"Do you realize where I'm going?" Rowan asked. It was now or never for the professor as he grew ever more excited inside. "I think Evolution is what started the universe!"

At that, the professor on Rowan's screen blinked knowingly, and then he laid back in his chair pondering how to respond.

"What do you think?" Rowan asked, now slightly apprehensive.

"Wow… Well, let me first say that I'm glad you came to me first about your theory," the professor on the other end smiled, thoroughly surprising the Professor Rowan at the receiving end.

Rowan expected an 'I think it's plausible', or some kind of 'Well, we'd never be able to test it', but it didn't come. Instead, Oak continued to smooth over his chin in thought, smiling all the while. Rowan continued.

"Who else would I call about such an idea? For all I know my theory is just like some child making a completely uneducated guess connecting something from fairy tales, not real life! I would be laughed at by my own colleagues much less the scientific community if I ever brought this up."

"I know. That's because I made such a conclusion myself, Clarke. I know what you mean." Oak still sat in the same position and continued to smile. "I haven't come forth publicly about my thoughts, but now I know I have at least one confident."

"Sam, I knew I made a safe choice by conversing with you about it first before I publish some sort of dissertation!" Rowan was now completely hooked with what his colleague had to say. "What kind of conclusion did you make?"

"Some time ago, Ash came back from the Hoenn League to Pallet Town to figure out what he was going to do next. Of course as you know, he decided to take the Pokémon Battle Frontier Challenge, but while he was in my laboratory he and I talked about something very intriguing."

"What was that?" Rowan asked, knowing that something big was coming up. After all, everything regarding Ash was something big.

"Oh, he talked about his adventures, gym battles, and about May's contests and things like that, but that's not all too important."

"Wait one second, who's May?" Rowan asked, unaware of Ash's previous travelling partner.

"Right, I never mentioned her before! May Maple is a Pokémon Coordinator like Dawn but she and her younger brother Max tagged along with Ash during both his Hoenn league journey and the Battle Frontier challenge. To be honest, Ash and May seem very close after all of that. The two parted ways so Ash is now in Sinnoh while May is in Johto.

"Anyways it was not so long after the small talk that Ash mentioned a Pokémon he met at Cameran Palace in the sovereign city-state of Rota. He said that this Pokémon was learning techniques from a human."

"Hmm, yes. I've heard that a long time ago Pokémon were sometimes taught by humans through uncommonly close bonds," Rowan brought his hand up to his bushy, white mustache and began to stroke it thoughtfully. "But there hasn't been a mention of such a bond between a Pokémon and a human for several centuries. It is widely thought that he and other members of that secret society had disappeared."

"Well, now you'll understand why I'm so glad you came to me. I too have a fairy tale theory, and now I can finally confide in someone who also thinks along the same lines," Oak spoke. "I think there's reason to believe that Ash can connect to Pokémon using such bonds described in the legends of centuries past!"

"What? That's impossible!" Rowan was absolutely astounded and jerked to attention in his seat.

"Oh, it's possible. And because of that, our Ash is also directly connected to the very force that you happen to call Evolution."

"Hold on! What are you talking about, connected? How can a boy be connected to a Pokémon so strongly, to say nothing of a connection to a Pokémon phenomenon?"

"This is exactly why I'm finally telling you about what I've been thinking for the past two years!" Oak replied with enthusiasm written all over his features. "I knew that if I ever mentioned such a thing to our colleagues, they wouldn't fathom the possibility. But since you've also come up with such a connection just as I did, I know that I can finally tell someone about this!"

"Well, I'm really surprised that you've been holding such a theory back for so long, but why Ash? He's just a boy, and as far as I'm concerned, Evolution is a phenomenon experienced only by Pokémon."

"While everything you've said so far is true, I know in my gut that Ash does have such a connection, both to Pokémon and this phenomenon."

"Why?"

"The day Ash started his Pokémon journey, he claimed he saw a Ho-Oh. No one had seen one since the fall of the Tin and Brass Towers one hundred and fifty years ago."

"No. That's unbelievable. That's ridiculous. The boy may have seen some other Pokémon and could've easily mistaken it for a Ho-Oh!"

"That's exactly what I said when he told me. But ever since the day Ash got his first Pokémon, I thought about the possibility. I warrant you, I've thought long and hard about it, and I've decided that Ash wasn't mistaken. He actually saw the legendary Ho-Oh."

"Incredible… He's just a boy and yet he's seen a Pokémon people have searched their entire lives for!"

"I know it's difficult to believe, but trust me. That Ho-Oh is the reason why I know that Ash is connected so strongly and to Evolution. Here's my reasoning: Ho-Oh is best known for its historical residence in the Tin Tower along with Lugia, who resided in Brass Tower, both in Ecruteak City in the Johto Region. However, it is _why_ Ho-Oh and Lugia came to reside in the two towers that is most relevant to our discussion about Ash and Evolution."

"How so? Their reason for descending upon the towers is common knowledge."

"True, but you and I both know that the history behind their descent is not well established beyond academic circles. You recall the conflict between the Hero of Truth and the Hero of Ideals, correct?"

"Hmm… Yes, I am very familiar with the story," Rowan affirmed knowingly. "Their squabble over rule of Unova between the landed gentry and the peasant public drove the region into utter chaos. Their conflict extended overseas, plunging the other lands into respective periods of technological stagnation. Those dark ages lasted three centuries."

"Yes, the Three Hundred Years War, the collapse of the classical civilizations of Pokémopolis and Pokélantis, finally culminating at the Battle of Rota seven hundred years ago. And what happened then?"

"The city of Ecruteak was chosen as a neutral location to end the war, the Treaty of Ecruteak City was signed, and the four nations entered similar periods of cultural renaissance. But where are you going with this?" Rowan asked with great intrigue.

"The Tin and Bronze Towers were also erected to honor the war's end and Ho-Oh and Lugia descended upon the towers," Oak explained. "Most people understand those towers to be a monument to a new era of peace and cooperation between humans and Pokémon, but nobody has ever questioned why Ho-Oh and Lugia descended upon the towers in the first place. To be realistic, they needn't have bothered with such a gesture. Monuments to peace would've sufficed, but those legendary Pokémon chose to come and take up residence. Why?"

"Didn't they come because they too saw the need to foster the relationship between humans and Pokémon? That is how the story has been told since it first happened."

"Perhaps... but don't you think it's suspicious that we've simply assumed this is the case? Also, isn't it possible that this reason is an oversimplification of real events, told over and over, and reduced down each time for the sake of narration?"

A pregnant pause settled in the midst of the two Pokémon professors' conversation. Oak's supposition was unquestionably valid. The quaint laws of nature dictated that stories not only become embellished by grander tales with each iteration, but that they also lose context and shorten in length for convenience. Professor Rowan stroked his beard tightly and furrowed his eyebrows in thought. Now that the prospect had been brought up, it was very possible that this particular tale had become self-aggrandized and had lost the specifics over the years.

"If that is indeed the case, the public would be in for quite a shock," Rowan suggested. "Are you saying that Ho-Oh and Lugia did not recognize a new era of interspecies cooperation?"

"Hardly, Clarke! I think that Ho-Oh and Lugia certainly observed the new bond formed between humans and Pokémon and wished to acknowledge it, but I think that there's a simpler reason for their coming," Oak replied.

"What could that be?"

"I believe Ho-Oh and Lugia were honoring the sacrifice of Sir Aaron," Oak said slowly and delicately.

"The knight, who, according to legend, single-handedly ended the Three-Hundred Years war?" Rowan asked.

"The same. Furthermore, I believe that Ho-Oh and Lugia not only descended upon the Tin and Brass Towers because Sir Aaron had passed away, but also because they were waiting for someone like him to return—a hero, if you will. The way I see it, the Three Hundred Years War began as a squabble between two heroes, but ended centuries later because of a third.

"I think it is only natural then that just as the Tin and Brass towers symbolized the peace between Ideals and Truth, Lugia and Ho-Oh watched over those towers waiting for a 'hero' who recognized this peace. However, they were kept waiting for far too long, and after the fire of Tin Tower the two Pokémon must've fled in order to search for a hero as opposed to idly waiting for an apparition. And when they do find that person, they will come back to the Tin and Brass Towers."

"I apologize my old friend," Rowan said. "But your theory cannot be accurate. There have been plenty of people, heroes like Sir Aaron to have emerged through the ages! I can recall the story of one nomad who put an end to a Spiritomb's rampage five centuries ago and an acquaintance of mine on Iron Island has been training in the same discipline as Sir Aaron for quite some time, albeit in an unorthodox fashion. Yet neither Ho-Oh nor Lugia have returned! I highly doubt our Ash signaled the return of those two legendary Pokémon if people like that do not qualify as this 'hero'."

"Well countered, my friend, but it isn't merely the skill of Sir Aaron that I believe Ho-Oh and Lugia are seeking," Oak responded.

"What is it then?" Rowan asked.

"It is said in another ancient legend that when the souls of humans and Pokémon can commune, upon the emergence of a trainer with the ability to touch the souls of Pokémon, Ho-Oh will appear from the heavens, correct?" Oak asked. "What do you think it means to be able to touch the souls of Pokémon?"

"I'll take the bait and let you answer that," Rowan chuckled to himself. "What do you supposed it is?"

"I believe it is the unwavering will to sacrifice one's self. That is what it means. Take all three heroes in the war. Each sacrificed everything they had in order to pursue ideals, truth, or peace between the two. They gave their lives for each respective cause and were known as heroes as a consequence. And Ash—"

"— sorry Professor," Rowan interrupted, clearly not convinced. "You can't possibly suggest that Ash Ketchum has the unwavering will to sacrifice himself for a cause! He's just a boy!"

"That's where you and I differ, Professor," Oak replied, ready to quell Rowan's doubt. "We differ not on the basis of subjective opinion, but on the basis of objective information. You met Ash only once and I'm sure you've already seen proof of my suspicions. I don't suppose you recall his Pikachu, have you? Did you see how far Ash is willing to go to save that little Pokémon?"

"Hmm, yes I have," Rowan replied, letting his mind search his memories. "I know that when Dawn caught up to him after the two of them got separated, he risked his life to save his Pikachu from an enormous exploding mech. I'd say it was maybe twenty meters high or so."

"Have you ever seen a trainer ever do that for any of their Pokémon?"

"No. No, I haven't," Rowan replied slowly, still massaging his beard. "Even though I wouldn't like to admit it, I, for one, wouldn't risk my life like that. I would just phone the police after they got away."

"I rest my case. Ash is the only human I know who would go to such lengths for his Pokémon, or any Pokémon even. Your encounter with him is only a small sample of his journey. He has been through many, many more harrowing experiences with Pokémon than I believe you or I will ever encounter."

"Do you honestly believe so Sam?" Rowan asked politely. "You love Pokémon very dearly. It's hard to imagine anyone with a greater conviction to Pokémon than you."

"Between that boy and I, there is simply no comparison," Oak replied somberly. "I've seen him call upon the North Wind to save Arbor Forrest from total destruction forty-three years ago and I've seen him single-handedly prevent the Earth's flooding four years ago. For him, both were narrow escapes from death."

Another permeating silence filled the conversation. Rowan paused his beard stroking, remembering Oak's recount of his travels through time and recalling the impending collapse of the planet's biosphere. As he looked upon the professor on the other end of the video conference, Clarke Rowan could see how sure Samuel Oak was about this.

"He is the avatar of self-sacrifice. He is the only one I know who could ever truly touch the souls of Pokémon. There is nothing he wouldn't do to save the lives of Pokémon, even if it meant dying in the process…" Professor Oak continued slowly. "When Ash first received Pikachu, it was incredibly disobedient for reasons I still don't understand. But it soon became apparent to me that in such a short amount of time, Ash and Pikachu have become beyond best friends, no doubt about that. Ash has touched that little Pokémon I found in Viridian Forrest, and he has touched every Pokémon he has encountered since."

"Well, with such an argument, you've got me convinced," Rowan said, enjoying this conversation, discussing revelations that the boy in question had absolutely no comprehension or awareness of. However, one question remained.

"But I still don't see how he is somehow connected to Evolution. Were you going to…?"

"Ah! Yes! I digress. You think Evolution is related to the Original One, and I think Ash is the trainer with the ability to touch souls. Yes?" Oak took his hands, folded them, and placed them on his lap and he closed his eyes, ready for the last words. "Well, I think there's only one thing left to conclude."

"What is that?" Rowan knew that whatever came up next was the moment he placed the call in the first place, so he didn't want to miss a single word of Oak's answer. Leaning forward he beckoned, "Tell me, what is it?"

In response, Oak opened his closed eyes and flashed a grin across his face. This was it.

"I think Ash is the last Guardian of Aura."

* * *

_Dear Readers,_

I had originally uploaded this story four years ago during the Diamond and Pearl era of both the games and anime. If I recall, Ash had only five badges in the anime and Platinum hadn't even yet been revealed to the public for release. Needless to say, much, much, much has changed since then. We've had a third Sinnoh game, Generation II remakes, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon II, and the advent of Black and White/Black and White 2.

I am enormously pleased with the new direction of Pokémon games. Not only have their technological attempts skyrocketed with three-dimensional orientations with their gaming, they've taken intractability to a whole new level and also equalized the learning curve for new and old players alike. Furthermore, they have begun to incorporate serious, very serious themes into their games. Themes like 'what does it mean to be strong?' or 'can the truth be met with ideals peacefully?' are sorely needed in such an open-ended environment like a Pokémon game.

Luckily for me, my original plans for this story were neither fully developed, nor land-locked to the first four regions. The fifth generation of Pokémon fits very well into my over-arching story, and even better, the themes represented are so complex that they will make perfect compliments to my story. I avidly look forward to a Unova arc in my story, (hopefully before Generation VI).

Small trivia: the first clock time recorded is 3:43, a nod to the guys who made the new Halo IV. Incredible masterpiece. The soundtrack is the only thing lacking.

When I first edited this chapter, I was celebrating the occurrence of 500 views. 500. This month alone has garnered 6,000. Needless to say, I am more than pleased. I'm downright giddy.

As always, please review or private message me!

* * *

_Story Notes:_

14.6 Billion years ago – Big Bang, Original One emerges

1000 years ago – Three Hundred Years War begins

1000 thru 700 years ago – Pokélantis and Pokémopolis fall

700 years ago – Battle of the Tree of Beginning waged, Sir Aaron dies, Three Hundred Years War ends, Treaty of Ecruteak signed, Tin and Brass Towers erected, Ho-Oh and Lugia descend

500 years ago – Aura Guardian seals Spiritomb into Hallowed Stone Tower

150 years ago – Tin Tower burns, Ho-Oh and Lugia flee

37 years ago – Samuel Oak is born

34 years ago – Clarke Rowan is born

27 years ago – Samuel Oak travels into the future

0 years ago – Ash Ketchum leaves Pallet Town

* * *

_Sources:_

Age of the Universe – .com | scientifically accepted age acquired by Hubble Space Telescope images and redshift estimates

The Original Story - wiki/Sinnoh_myths | unmodified

Tin and Brass Towers - wiki/History_of_the_Pok%C3%A9mon_world

Creation of Pokémon World, Hero of Truth vs. Hero of Ideals, Spiritomb Sealing - wiki/Timeline_of_events_in_the_anime | Oak's Age is adjusted to match Ash's arbitrarily supposed age of 16.

Note: _Lucario and the History of Mew (M08)_ does not have a specific date for the war in either the Japanese version or English Dub adaptation, so the arbitrary date of 700 coincides peacefully that Poké Balls were not yet invented.

War of Truth vs. Ideals, Note: it is possible that another war occurred previously to the 1000 year ago war, but it does not explicitly state so in the Games - wiki/Relic_Castle

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

Uploaded, 07/29/08

| three total revisions/universe introduction/made Ash important/ hint of Advanceshipping/similar later chapters |

RE: edit. 8/23/11

| additional revision/included history/made Unova part of story arc/included timeline/added reference section/added title page |

RE: edit. 10/28/12

| awkward explanations revised/grammar corrected/sources section included|

RE: edit. 04/14/13


	6. -Part One, Arc One-

"_A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." – Lao Tzu (__604 BC - 531 BC)_

* * *

Title: **Part One, Arc One – The Battle for the Beacon Badge**

Category: Games » Pokémon; TV Shows » Pokémon  
Author: TestSubject069  
Language: English, Rating: Rated: T  
Genre: Adventure/Romance/Friendship  
Published: 08-27-08, Complete Date: 01-08-12  
Chapters: 16, Words: 150,000 _approx._

* * *

**Summary:**

Pokémon Trainer Ash Ketchum is ready for his eighth gym battle of the Sinnoh region; the final step to enter the Pokémon League Tournament. But all of this is halted when the champion Cynthia rushes to his side with a task to stop Team Galactic in its tracks. Between a welcomed surprise by May, visitations by half-remembered dreams, and a burning desire to right what's wrong, can Ash successfully claim the Beacon Badge?


	7. Unleashed

**Chapter One: Unleashed**

The sky may have been forbidding for most travelers today in the Sinnoh region. Rays of light beat down relentlessly on the shores of Route 222 and threatened to burn the grass to a crisp. It was thirty five degrees Celsius outside, and it was no surprise that there weren't many humans around. Many had taken residence back in Veilstone City out west. There they took shelter under a roof with air conditioning, probably sipping a nice, cool refreshing glass of ice water. But instead, three teenagers who were traveling together endured the sun. The trio included a very tan man, an energetic blue haired girl, and a skinny, young boy with a large rodent perched on his head. They mostly likely needed some of that ice water right now.

**[15:49 P.M.] Route 222, Sinnoh Region**

"Hey Brock, you wouldn't have anything left in the canteen would you?" asked the girl with an exasperated tone. Dawn Berlitz was a young girl at eleven years old and had just started traveling her home region. She competed in Pokémon Super Contests and aimed to become a top coordinator in her mother's footsteps. She had brilliant dark blue eyes, two hair clips to keep back her long, blue hair and a white hat with a pink half of a Poké Ball emblazoned in the center. She wore a black, tight tank top, a pink scarf around her neck, and a pink Pokétch, a high-tech watch, on her wrist. Around her waist she wore a pink mini-skirt, long, black stockings that reached before her knees, and a pair of tall, pink boots.

"No, sorry Dawn. Ash and Pikachu drank it all once we left camp this morning," Brock conceded. As the more mature member of the duo, Brock Harrison was eighteen and had already been through three different regions with Sinnoh as his fourth. He had brown hair to match his tan skin and eyes that refused to come out of a slit-like appearance. He wore a green T-shirt and an orange and dark brown vest over it, as well as khaki pants and a pair of light blue and white sneakers.

"Hey, don't blame me! Pikachu and I were thirsty so we drank! What's the problem?" asked the young boy. Ash Ketchum was an aspiring Pokémon trainer who aimed to be the best and nothing but the best. About sixteen years old, his attitude didn't show any maturity. He liked jumping on levitating security bots, once nearly suffocated attempting to return a stolen crystal in a sinking underwater temple, and in his earlier years shimmied up a tree to retrieve his stolen hat from a Mankey. But after traveling with his friends, his demeanor was more defined, maturity gained, but his habit of brashness, rashness, and impulsiveness stuck. He had deep auburn eyes, a white T-shirt beneath a blue collared shirt with a yellow stripe curving across the top, blue jeans, and a red and black set of sneakers. On his hand he wore a black fingerless glove with a green outline and on his head sat a red cap hand-woven by his mother with a black band down the middle and a blue Poké Ball also emblazoned in the middle rotated on its axis. His best friend Pikachu resting there as well, beat by the sun's continued existence.

"Chu…," sighed Pikachu. Pikachu was an electric rodent with red, circular pouches of immense electrical energy stored in his cheeks and a long tail shaped like a thunderbolt. Pikachu was Ash's first Pokémon and had helped him innumerable times in battles and in the field. Today however, having been under the sun in his yellow and brown stripped fur, Pikachu had a right to be uncomfortable.

"Still you could have left us something to drink like a _considerate person_! I'm so thirsty, Ash!" Dawn recoiled.

"Oh come on, Dawn. Don't get mad over that, it's already bad enough that we're out here in the middle of a dirt road and getting baked," Brock said trying to calm the girl down. He knew that she got slightly if not very aggravated without certain basic amenities.

"Plus, Pikachu has a fur coat and he gets hot really quickly. He needs all the water he can get," Ash explained. "Right buddy?"

"Pika…chu…" Pikachu sighed once again. Regardless if Pikachu was a Pokémon and Ash was a human, they could understand each other perfectly. Ash knew Pikachu was stressed, and he needed a good excuse to worm himself out of Dawn's complaints.

"Hey Brock, let me see that map. I want to reach the next Gym as soon as possible! Where is it anyway?" Ash asked as he took the map.

"Let me see. Right here," Brock said as he pointed at a city placed on a peninsula that jutted out from the rest of the region. "Sunyshore City shouldn't be too far away, I mean we have been traveling for two days on this route from Veilstone. We have to be getting close."

"So here's north and there's south, ah, well maybe that's Veilstone, and then… wait, no, huh?" mumbled Ash as he moved the map up and down frantically.

Upon seeing the desperate child in front of him, Brock offered his much needed guidance, "Two pointers. Number one, know which direction you're facing, and number two, check if the map is right-side up."

Pikachu nearly fell off his trainer's shoulder after that and Dawn merely rolled her eyes at the boy's well documented lack of map-reading skills.

"Thanks Brock! Geez, this would've been so much easier with a PokéNav," Ash grumbled.

"A PokéNav?" Brock asked. "You mean like Max, right? He's probably in Petalburg City itching to get his first Pokémon May is probably far off in Johto. We're stuck with maps for the time being."

"I don't know," Ash muttered. "I guess I was just thinking about what May and Max would have said right now."

"Do you miss them or something?" Brock asked. He had noticed a lot of allusions to the pair of Pokémon enthusiasts from Hoenn lately.

"Maybe…" Ash idly responded as he became lost in thoughts of his old traveling companions.

Max and May Maple were siblings from Petalburg City in the Hoenn region. Max was now a nine year old boy who wore large glasses, a green polo shirt, sneakers, and khaki shorts. Despite Max's appearance, Ash and Brock knew that he would be a very successful trainer once he became ten and received his Pokémon Trainer's license. May on the other hand was already a fourteen year old trainer, but she specialized in Pokémon coordinating in contests. She started out much like Ash had, clueless and without an inkling of skill. But Ash had taught her the ropes of the Pokémon trade, and soon enough, May partook in two separate Grand Festivals placing in the top four in her first and the runner-up in her second. Now fifteen years old, she left the group and decided to take on the contests in the Johto region.

"You know what, Brock?" Ash asked after a while of walking.

"Yeah?" he replied as he turned towards Ash.

"I'm just…" Ash paused as if trying to find out what to say, "I'm just really worried about May. I know she seemed fine the last time we saw her, but I can't help thinking that maybe she needs us now more than ever."

"Yeah, I know. But she'll be fine. After all, you did teach her as much as you could," Brock smiled and looked back towards the long Route 222 ahead of them. "Don't worry about her so much."

Ash replied in a slightly defeated voice, "I know. I've just got a feeling."

Dawn kept walking along the path with her two other friends, but pondered Ash's recent behavior. _Hm, Ash usually never shows any signs of missing anyone, but when May arrived for the Wallace Pokémon Contest, he sure was glad to see May again…_

Dawn then began to gaze over at the nonchalant boy. _I never thought of Ash as being anything but a trainer or even ever having any feelings for anyone other than his Pokémon. Hah, his head is probably too thick for that sort of thing—_

Suddenly, a voice called in the distance and awoke Ash from his reverie and Dawn from her thought process.

"Hey! You there with the Pikachu on your head!"

"Yeah?" Ash quickly glanced up and put the map down reflexively.

"Are you wacky-cookie kids headed for Sunyshore City?" the mystery man asked from afar.

"Yeah, sure! Why do you ask?" Ash replied defensively.

"'Cause it looks like you are just who I'm looking for!" the man replied. Quite out of the ordinary, this man had a flaming red afro and a bright orange T-shirt. He seemed to melt right into the sun's scorching heat waves as he juggled a Poké Ball idly in his right hand.

"What are you talking about?" Ash asked.

"If I'm not mistaken, he wants a Pokémon battle," Brock pondered out loud.

"What, a battle? Sure of course! This'll be a great warm-up for Sunyshore City! I accept your challenge!" Ash exclaimed. He was already pumped up for a Pokémon battle.

Pikachu, mirroring his trainers excitement piped up, "Pika! Pikachu!"

"As a former Gym Leader, I will assume the role of impartial judge," Brock said, stepping in between the two trainers and took his place roughly in the middle. "Now, please, mister, what is your name?"

"Call me Flint Timber of the Elite Four," the man replied plainly, as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

Ash felt like he had walked into that Ursaring back in the Bewilder Forest. A member of the Elite Four was said to be one of the four most powerful trainers in the entire region they resided in, save for the Champion who was more powerful than the other four. Except a handful of trainers, not many have been successful enough to scrape a win against an Elite Four member no matter how narrowly.

_This is perfect!_ Ash thought. _The stronger the opponent, the stronger we fight!_

"Wait, you're a member of the Elite Four? What are you doing challenging passerby?" Dawn asked, thoroughly shocked at the revelation.

The last time the group met an Elite Four member, one of their Pokémon arrogantly challenged him and was soundly defeated in a matter of seconds. Dawn was worried because that Pokémon was her Buizel at the time.

_Be careful, Ash,_ Dawn thought.

"If you beat me Ash, then I will be glad to tell you of my business. For the record, I'm not just challenging random noobs on the street! I'm specifically challenging you! But enough of that," Flint stated. "Most importantly, I really want to test your fiery spirit!"

"What?" Ash exclaimed, now his turn to be bewildered. "How do you know my name—?"

"I'll explain later! As I was saying, this will be a one on one fight and I choose my Infernape! Go! Let's win this!" Flint yelled.

Flint threw out a red and white orb with a button in the middle into the air. Immediately, the Poké Ball cracked down the center and released a stream of white energy that materialized into a monkey-like Pokémon with a glowing flame on his head. The Pokémon roared as the ball contracted and flew back to the owner.

"Infer! Infernape!" the Pokémon yelled, awaiting his opponent. The flames on his head danced brilliantly in the sun's rays.

_Hmm… this will be tough,_ Ash thought to himself._ I could give my Monferno some practice against his evolved form, but I don't know if he could match an Elite Four's evolved form right now. Besides, fire on fire won't give me a win, so I might as well play it safe and go with Buizel!_

"Ash, do you accept the terms of the battle?" Brock asked from the sidelines. "If so, send out your single Pokémon!"

"I accept your challenge, Flint, and we're ready to win this! Go, Buizel!" Ash called out and released a red and white orb just as Flint had, but this time, a smirking Water type weasel-like Pokémon with a dual tail and floatation sac emerged, ready to fight.

"Bu bui," Buizel taunted playfully at his opponent.

Dawn's insides froze solid at the sight of her old Buizel pitted against a member of the Elite Four. She watched with rising panic as her old Pokémon gestured the flaming vanguard monkey to come at him.

"Hey, Buizel, check out our opponent this time. He's an Elite Four member!" Ash said, bending on his knees next to Buizel. "You know what that means, don't you?"

Buizel took in a long and deep breath, steeling himself for the tough battle ahead. After breathing out all of the spent air out through his snout, he nodded slowly, but knowingly.

"You ready?" asked Ash.

Buizel turned his head towards his trainer but kept his body faced forward. A determined smirk played itself across Buizel's face. Ash remembered Buizel's first encounter with an Elite Four member, especially recalling the pitifully short amount of time it took to thoroughly defeat the Water type. However, Buizel was ready for it this time. They were both ready for it.

"Ash, be careful! I don't want to see Buizel defeated again!" Dawn called out.

"It'll be fine, Dawn!" Ash said, calmly patting Buizel's head. He stood up and smiled towards his female traveling partner and threw a confident thumbs up. Taking a leaf out of her book, Ash shouted brightly, "No need to worry!"

It was true. Buizel had become perhaps the second strongest Pokémon in Ash's entire arsenal of Buizel, Monferno, Grotle, Staraptor, Gliscor, and of course, Pikachu. Ash wasn't concerned about Buizel not performing. He always gave one-hundred percent on the battlefield regardless of the opponent.

"So, I see you've met my good friend Lucian already!" Flint called out. "I'm sure he gave you a quick show of his ability!"

"Yeah, and now we're here today with some tips he gave us!" Ash called back. "Right, Buizel?"

"Bui, Bui!" Buizel responded affirmatively.

"This will be a one on one battle between Flint of the Sinnoh Elite Four and his Infernape against Ash Ketchum of Pallet and his Buizel," Brock shouted. Now that the introductions were out of the way, Brock was ready to assume his role as judge and announced the start of the match. "There is no time limit and no technique restrictions. Let the battle begin!"

Wasting no time, Flint commanded, "Infernape, use Dig now!"

Ash figured he might try a move like that since Fire attacks don't damage Water Pokémon directly. It would have been a strategic waste to use an attack like Flamethrower.

"Buizel, stay calm and wait there, there will be some ground movement at some point!" Ash instructed.

"Bu bui!" Buizel murmured to himself.

Buizel nodded and closed his eyes. Regardless of whether or not Buizel could tell exactly where Infernape would surface, he trusted Ash to be prepared and he steadied himself to respond.

"You should be more careful with your predictions, Ash," Flint toyed, even though the ground hadn't even showed any sign of depressions or cracks.

"What are you talking about?" Ash asked, suddenly fearing an oncoming upset. Buizel stood still on the battlefield surface expecting Infernape to emerge out of the sand and launch an assault, but it never came.

"Use Fire Spin directly from below, Infernape!" Flint ordered.

Infernape complied and within seconds Buizel was shot skyward from the column of red-orange flames erupting from the ground.

"Buizel, no!" Ash yelled. He gritted his teeth as Buizel flew skyward in the column of superheated fire.

_Flint is one step ahead of me and Buizel took the fall!_ Ash thought. Not seconds later, Buizel landed with a gut-wrenching thud on the ground._ More mistakes like that could cost me the match!_

"Ash, hang in there!" Dawn cried out in an almost pleading tone.

"Pikapi! Pikapikachu!" Pikachu called out to Ash and Buizel.

"Buizel! Can you get up?" Ash asked his Pokémon.

"Bu bu… bui!" Buizel grunted. Buizel was injured to a great extent and took the fall mostly to his legs. Ash noticed Buizel stagger himself into a standing position in preparation for the next move.

_I've gotta figure out a way to attack and defend at the same time, but our counter shield move won't work on Flint's Infernape if it's in the ground!_ Ash thought to himself bitterly.

When the attack subsided, molten bits of glass and lava littered the surface, bringing another, unwelcome heat wave. Seeing this, Flint built upon his last move.

"Infernape, stay underground and keep digging!" Flint ordered. Infernape obeyed and began digging long tunnels underground.

"Bui! Buizel!" Buizel cried out to avoid the same result as the last dig. Ash understood Buizel's slight apprehension and tried to think.

_One wrong move with those holes and we could lose the match! _Ash thought. _Wait, holes… holes and losing the match! I remember back then! _

Images of his second battle against his rival, Paul, re-entered Ash's mind.

**[11:13 A.M.] Bewilder Forest (Clearing), Sinnoh Region — One Year, Ten Months Ago**

"Alright, that's enough!" Ash muttered to himself as Turtwig was taking Scratch attack hits from Paul's Chimchar. Noticing that Chimchar had dug himself numerous holes and that he stayed inside and attacked for surprise, Ash decided to attack in order to flush him out. "Turtwig, aim Razor Leaf at the hole!"

Chimchar leapt out of the hole, paining after taking a direct hit from Razor Leaf on his backside.

"Chimchar, use Ember!" Paul countered.

"Now, Turtwig, in the hole!" Ash ordered. Turtwig followed suit, narrowly missing the Ember attack above ground, but Paul had expected such a maneuver.

"Aim Ember into that hole!" Paul commanded confidently.

Unfortunately for Ash, Turtwig received the brunt of the column of fire and took a good portion of stamina out of him. The match had been fatefully decided from that attack onward.

_I remember, _Ash thought._ A Pokémon inside of a hole has little room to dodge unless they jump out onto the surface! So, if I can get an attack into the hole without Buizel in as well, then Infernape won't be able to dodge either!_

**[16:08 P.M.] Route 222, Sinnoh Region**

"Buizel, hang in there! Fire your Water Pulse into the tunnels!" Ash shouted. Glad to hear his trainer's newfound strategy, Buizel began shooting three spheres of water into the tunnel openings.

"Infernape, use Flamethrower and smash the sphere! Keep using Flamethrower afterwards!" Flint shouted.

The spheres of water entered through the hole and were guided by the tunnels directly to Infernape. As Flint ordered, Infernape retaliated with Flamethrower immediately indicated by a muffled explosion underground as the Water Pulse spheres and the beam of fire clashed.

_Maybe Infernape couldn't take the impact! Maybe we won!_ Ash thought.

As though in spite of him, Infernape didn't come out of the tunnels at all. Instead, columns of condensed steam rose out of the openings and engulfed the entire field in a cloud of mist.

"Argh, I can't see!" Ash shouted out in frustration with this sudden lack of sight. "Buizel keep a sharp eye out there!"

A new problem bubbled to the surface, literally. Soon after the columns of steam, the entire area of the battlefield began shimmering like exhaust from a car as the sand and rock began glowing dull red. Moments later, trapped air below ground rose to the surface and popped the surface tension of the liquidized rock. The field was melting before their eyes.

Buizel stood in the center of the battlefield watching the sand and rock around him slowly melt into a red hot liquid magma. Paralyzed by the magnitude of the situation, Buizel aimed a quick water gun onto the ground and moved toward the relatively cool patch of earth. He reached the less molten haven and waiting for his trainer to make a decision, all while trying to keep a level head. Ash on the other hand was dumbstruck as he saw why Flint ordered Infernape to keep using Flamethrower. Flint chuckled to himself.

"What's so funny, Flint?" Ash called out to his opponent, trying to contain his own flash of sheer panic.

"Ah, nothing," he said as the ground heated even further. "I remember seeing a scene much like this some years back. The tables have turned on you, but nonetheless it's all familiar."

Buizel knew that he was strong against fire on a small scale like direct Ember of Flamethrower attacks, but nothing like an entire battlefield being melted. Fire fighters had their limits too, and both Buizel and his two human trainers grew enormously frightened. On his side, Buizel managed a gulp in his throat and wiped the beads of sweat streaming from the fin on his head.

"Ash, do something! Buizel's in trouble!" Dawn frantically called out, absolutely horrified as she watched her old Pokémon stand completely rigid, at a loss of what to do.

Ash simply looked at the battlefield, completely oblivious to anything around him.

Brock yelled out from the middle line, "Ash! What are you doing? Forfeit before Buizel gets seriously hurt!"

"Pikapi! Pikapi pikachu!" Pikachu yelled out.

Ash wasn't paying attention to the shouts coming from around him. As he watched the events before him with a glazed expression, his mind reeled back to a battle a long time ago; during the Johto Silver League Conference against his good friend and rival, Gary.

**[16:17 P.M.] Silver Town (Johto League Silver Conference | Round 1, Finals), Johto Region — Three Years, Ten Months Ago**

"Charizard, use Flamethrower on Blastoise!" Ash commanded.

"Blastoise, don't let him come near with Hydro Pump!" Gary retaliated.

"Charizard, keep using Flamethrower on Blastoise!" Ash ordered despite the evidence before him. Even though he hoped for a better outcome, Ash saw it was no good. Charizard was too high up to make a powerful and accurate Flamethrower hit and the beams of super-hot flames merely impacted the ground.

_Now I remember! I was trying to take on Blastoise head on, even though fire attacks wouldn't do a lot of damage anyway, _Ash thought. _No matter how often we tried, Blastoise kept danger at bay by using Hydro Pump constantly which forced Charizard to keep missing and hit the battlefield instead. _

Ash thought to himself slightly more intensely and remembered, _Then I saw the dust and rock melting and directed Charizard to purposely heat up the battlefield! The field melted, and trapped Blastoise… just like how Buizel is trapped right here! So now I am in Gary's position. What am I going to —?_

**[16:13 P.M.] Route 222, Sinnoh Region**

"Ash! Forfeit the match already if you're not going to make a move. I don't want to harm your Buizel," Flint offered. Ash snapped back from his moment of reminiscence and only vaguely heard him.

"What?" he asked to clarify. "I'm not going to forfeit this match!"

"Then I guess I have no choice. Perhaps you're not as great as we thought you were. Let's wrap this up," Flint sighed. "Use Flamethrower at full power, Infernape!"

Ash then sent an order to turn this match around, "Buizel, use a SonicBoom directly in the center of the field!"

Then Buizel, relieved to find his trainer still had a plan, graciously complied. Buizel mustered a jump with the limited space on the field, and sent a shock wave of water toward the molten ground. Instantly, the water turned to steam again, but left behind a solid mark in the middle shaped like a rocky bull's-eye.

_Perfect. Now there is a weak spot in the field with all of those tunnels dug in underneath! Time to exploit it! _Ash thought to himself.

"Ready to win this, Buizel?" Ash yelled out.

Buizel landed on top of the rock circles and stared at his trainer with a determined smile on his face. As though they could read each other's minds, Buizel suddenly understood the strategy.

"Bu Bui!"

Dawn, Pikachu, Flint, and Brock saw what Ash ordered and became perplexed. The bull's eye looked like nothing more than a feeble attempt at a contest appeal. Flint especially cocked his eyebrow into his forehead, not seeing the techniques fall into place.

"Is this some new kind of crazy scheme you've created under the pressure, Ash?" Flint asked quizzically. "Cause' this battle is over!"

"Actually yeah, you're right on both terms!" Ash replied quite satisfied. "Now, Buizel, use Aqua Tail on the bull's-eye and shock it! And use the force to leap into the air!"

Buizel then directed all of his water energy as a build-up of dense water enveloped his tail. As soon as it was charged, Buizel swung the Aqua Tail attack downwards, directly at the center. The structure on top fractured and caved in creating a shock wave throughout the entire magma field. Infernape noticed nothing as he was still awaiting orders from Flint who now stood both bewildered and confused.

Buizel then pushed himself up into the air using the force from Aqua Tail and was in perfect position to attack.

_I'm glad I could avoid injuring Buizel's legs further, _Ash thought with a satisfied grin_. _"Now Buizel, use SonicBoom with everything you've got! Force him out!"

Buizel gathered as much energy as he could muster and focused it on his tail. "Bu bui!" Buizel roared as he released his attack. A charged SonicBoom fired from Buizel's tail headed directly for the exploited weak spot on the field–the bull's-eye. Suddenly, the strategy became crystal clear to Flint as he realized the tables were turned.

"No way. Infernape! Get out of there!" he ordered.

It was too late. The force of the SonicBoom shoved the new magma into the ground and in return forced the magma underneath to spread out at the speed of the shockwave. Out from underneath, Infernape was forced into the air as Buizel landed on the new hardened rock battlefield. The just cooled rock was slightly soft and cushioned his landing. Infernape landed with a thud on the new battlefield only to get up and keep fighting.

Ash seized the opportunity, "Use Water Gun!"

"Use Flamethrower!" Flint ordered in return.

Buizel and Infernape launched their respective beams at the same moment. The collision exploded, pushing the two Pokémon further away from each other and left another cloud of dense steam.

As if both trainers and Pokémon knew what was going to happen, Flint and Ash ordered a blind assault.

"Go, Buizel! Time to win this!"

"Go, Infernape! Take him out!"

Both sides waited in tension for the mist to clear out. Ash gritted his teeth while Flint calmly stood, waiting, only to be shocked at the scene in front of him.

"No! Infernape!" Flint cried out.

Infernape was put in a head lock by Buizel, pinned and had no clear line of fire at this close range.

"Buizel, use Aqua Jet and finish this up!" Ash ordered.

"Infernape, loosen yourself out of Buizel's grip!" Flint shouted in desperation.

By the time Infernape had loosened himself of Buizel's grip, Buizel had launched a fully charged Aqua Jet attack. Infernape flew into the air from the impact and landed on the ground while Buizel landed on his feet, but completely wiped out from the effort.

Both Ash and Flint yelled out, "Are you all right?"

Infernape and Buizel faced each other as the dust cleared out from the impact. Buizel stood using his right arm against his knee as a brace, while Infernape struggled to get on his feet. The Aqua Jet and magma battlefield had taken its toll on both of them.

Buizel defiantly stood as rigidly as he could, making sure that he would be the last one standing. He refused to let fatigue dictate his fate. He had come too far into the battle to let victory slip his grasp.

"Buah, bu… bui…!" Buizel muttered to himself.

Both Pokémon looked into the other's eyes and withdrew, knowing who was beat. Infernape slowly slumped back down onto the field, having met his match, knocked out. Buizel slowly closed his eyes and began swaying slightly, cringing from the pain, exhausted from combat.

Ash ran out onto the battlefield as quickly as he could.

He realized Buizel had been driven too far as Buizel swayed on his feet as though he had been through a battle for his own survival. Buizel stood upright for a few seconds more before darkness enveloped his vision and he crumpling on his knees, falling headfirst into Ash's arms.

* * *

_Dear Readers,_

Not much for editing around this chapter, but you would be surprised how many times I said something like 'Buizel brushed the molten glass of its flotation sack' when it clearly should be 'Buizel brushed the molten glass of _his_ flotation sack'! Pokémon have genders! DUH.

If you've noticed the new cover page, GOOD FOR YOU. It's mostly for my purposes. I like the idea of roughly publishing something that functions like a book on . That sort of thing appeals to an OCD kid like me.

Furthermore, I have decided that every character in the Pokémon universe will be designated a fitting last or fitting first name. For example, Brock was revealed to have the last name Harrison in an informal interview with his voice actor, Dawn's character in the Pokémon Special manga is named Berlitz, and Flint Timber is an appropriate name for him considering what happens when you strike a flint upon dry leaves.

Finally, I have reasonably timelined the story of Ash throughout the Anime in a cohesive timeline that doesn't contradict my original age limits with Ash at sixteen years old and his Pokémon journey progressing for a total of six years. Johto really _was_ that freaking long ago.

* * *

_Story Notes:_

2 years ago – Brock is born

0 years after – Ash is born

2 years after – May is born

5 years after – Max is born

6 years after – Dawn is born

13 years after – Ash competes in Johto Silver Conference

* * *

_Author's Notes: _

Uploaded, 08/27/11

| ash's team decided/ battle diction/unsatisfactory human-Pokémon dialogue/scrap for later chapters |

RE: edit. 8/28/11

RE: edit. 03/16/11

| age change/names determined |

original title, "The Battle on the Road"

RE: edit. 10/28/12


	8. Undaunted

**Chapter Two: Undaunted**

Buizel felt like his body weighed more than a Snorlax. He tried to remember what had happened to him since he passed out but he kept his eyes closed. He tried to move his legs but was shocked when they wouldn't respond.

_Oh, that's right! I was in battle with that Infernape and fell flat on the ground. I must be in the Pokémon Center then. What happened? I don't even remember if we won or not…_ Buizel thought.

**[17:13 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Pokémon Center), Sinnoh Region**

He was right. Laid out on a Water Pokémon stretcher, courtesy of the Sunyshore City Pokémon Center, he was monitored by several machines beeping softly and humming quietly, all tenderly attached to his skin. He was grateful. After all, when a Pokémon collapsed in the wild, they'd have to be either rescued by passerby trainer, walk on their own to a safe harbor, or be left to suffer alone. There was much to be said and much to be thankful for by traveling with a trainer.

He had seen worse days in his career of being a Pokémon.

**[19:45 P.M.] Route 205 (Eterna Tributary), Sinnoh Region – Six Years Ago**

A while ago, he was wild and without a care in the world, but with a disgust he developed towards humans. In his formative years, Buizel ran away from his family and had to cope with being alone early on. One day, he came across a peaceful lake and decided to swim around in it. A loud crack suddenly sounded through the trees and he saw a human training with his Pokémon.

Unfortunately, the loud crack was the sound of a snapping tree. A hoard of Beedrill from a nearby nest heard the sound and flew to fight the aggressor. The trainer saw the oncoming hoard and took evasive action, but Buizel wasn't so lucky. He was the only one in the lake by the time the Beedrill arrived.

The Beedrill looked for the aggressor and upon not finding the true human cause, they targeted Buizel. Realizing that the Beedrill were darting toward him with their sharp twin needles, he swam as fast as he possibly could for his life, winding across twisting streams and fast currents. The Beedrill continued the pursuit until the river led him to a hazardously high and forbidding waterfall. With no room to stop, Buizel fell down to the bottom below as the Beedrill continued on the river path, unknowing that their target was at the waterfall base, in agony.

Buizel was in critical condition. When he impacted the ground, sharp rocks at the bottom of the waterfall had cut a large gash over his belly as he tasted his own blood. Weak and marred, Buizel drifted to the shore and stayed there, lying in brutal pain. Before drifting into unconsciousness, a menacing trainer walking along the shore looked upon Buizel's torn body in a small pool of crimson on the bank. He turned away as Buizel cried out for help in Pokémon tongue.

The trainer looked back and Buizel locked eye contact, the human with an amused stare and Pokémon with an innocent cry for help. The trainer walked away muttering to himself about a waste of time as Buizel slipped into the darkness.

Buizel lay helpless as the wound healed itself over a period of weeks. Those weeks brewed a storm as his mind began to mull over the indecency and cruelty of humans. He vowed to himself never to show any help to their kind. He also began training relentlessly in solitude and quickly became a legend among the travelers of the area. Training to confront the humans, to beat them at their own game, soon rewarded him with cruel satisfaction. Trainers more arrogant than he showed up to try and capture the elusive Buizel. Each had been defeated, both weak and strong, as he and his abilities grew more powerful.

One day, another set of trainers had come upstream to battle and catch him again. He'd been through this a million times; hook, line, sucker; just another day like any day. But one very particular day changed everything he had thought about humans.

**[09:36 A.M.] Route 205 (Eterna Tributary), Sinnoh Region – One Year, Eight Months Ago**

First came the Bellsprout trainer—so much easier than a warm-up. Then came the Zigzagoon trainer, also a complete waste of time. He hadn't come across a decent trainer in a month, and grew very bored with the lack of competent challengers. With mirth he realized it came to the point that he even wished that someone would truly challenge him, possibly enough to try to use a Poké Ball.

More trainers came, unknowingly for the better. A gang of four trainers had evidently heard the rumors, one was a girl with blue hair, Dawn, and another girl had flaming orange hair and a vest, Zoey. One of the boys had dark brown hair, Brock, and the other had black hair and a Pikachu on his shoulder, Ash. They had set up fishing rods and were waiting for a bite until Buizel took Dawn's line and battled her.

The battle transpired in a matter of minutes. Her Piplup shot out attack after attack, but Buizel dodged each of them. He grew tired of easily dodging each of his opponent's attacks, and dealt powerful Aqua Jet attack, knocking Piplup out. The match was over and Buizel had just started.

_Hopefully the next trainer isn't such a pushover,_ Buizel thought savagely. Eyeing Zoey, she accepted his challenge and sent out her Glameow.

Glameow and Zoey were slightly more difficult to take down than Piplup and Dawn were, but easy nonetheless. Eventually, she too was knocked out by his raw Aqua Jet velocity. Then _he_ stepped up. Ash sent out Pikachu, who was an electric type, and Water Pokémon of his nature were often easily defeated by electric moves.

_Finally a challenge_, Buizel thought, taunting his opponent.

Pikachu was drastically more skilled than either of his previous opponents were, and they exchanged attacks each while dodging an equal number in return. Pikachu eventually took out a lot of Buizel's energy with a Volt Tackle. Buizel flew in the air and landed with a thud on the shoreline—this was his chance for a catch. His victory streak may have reached an end yet.

The ball had reached its target and Buizel was fighting against the security lock of the Poké Ball. Unbeknownst to Ash, Buizel was just getting started. About halfway to the final wobble, Buizel escaped the Poké Ball and launched an Aqua Jet at Pikachu which sent him into the river. Within a matter of minutes, Buizel had defeated Pikachu on his own ground, mortified Ash, and got a decent battle in return.

_All in a day's work,_ he thought. He swam down the river over to his training place, but insistent as ever, Ash and his crew followed him.

Buizel had been training now for years, and had to come up with extra challenges to train with. So, he smashed rocks, dove off of the water fall, increased his Aqua Jet speed, and so on. And as he did this, every single day he constantly reminded himself of why he was doing this. After all, most wild Pokémon wouldn't train for long because of the lack of motivation. Buizel on the other hand, had a purpose; to humiliate every human that challenged him, to prove that the past was behind him, and that he now had authority and power.

But really, he trained with all his might to absolve himself of his weak side, and the fear of being unwanted, the fear that he would forever suffer alone.

When the gang of four found Buizel, he had just started training and was not in the mood to be disturbed, but nonetheless, the humans were incessant and stubborn and were determined to impress him so that they may re-challenge him. During the 'training session', a gang of bumbling Pokémon thieves named Team Rocket appeared to abduct Buizel away for their own using a rope net.

Ash brought out Turtwig to use Razor Leaf to cut the net attachment and Buizel then came hurtling down to the ground still in the net. Surprisingly, when his net had been cut loose, Dawn dove for Buizel and saved him from a nasty landing. Then, Piplup and Buizel launched Bubblebeam and Water Gun at Team Rocket as they were launched skyward.

Buizel noticed Dawn's brave action and shrugged it off as a plea to reconsider a rematch. However, as a token of good faith, he decided to let her retry her battle. Dawn opened up the same way as before, only to see that he was dodging each attack just as easily.

Then Zoey suggested to Dawn something totally unprecedented. She suggested to battle like a contest. The idea immediately clicked and Piplup fired several combination attacks. Buizel landed hard on the ground, unmoving as Dawn threw another Poké Ball.

The ball hit Buizel as targeted and then applied the security locks. After seconds of held breaths, Buizel emerged from the Poké Ball and threw a wave of Sonic Boom with all of his might. Dawn's Piplup got swept off of his feet and flew into the river.

But Dawn ordered Piplup to stay there as Buizel fired off an Aqua Jet right into a trap. Piplup then attacked with whirlpool while still in the river and Buizel was caught in the torrent. Dawn then ordered a Bubblebeam attack into the whirlpool and was rewarded with Buizel thrown onto the shore, completely still and exhausted. She attempted a capture for the final time.

Dawn's Poké Ball made contact with Buizel, and once again the Poké Ball wobbled as Buizel struggled to break free of its stronghold. After several seconds, an audible sigh issued from each member of the group. Buizel had been caught.

Since his capture at the river, he had been traveling with Ash, Brock and Dawn. They had shown him what most humans were like, but still, Buizel had come through very grudgingly. From the very beginning, Buizel expressed as much as possible that he wanted to become powerful in a battle, not graceful in a performance as Dawn wanted him. He showed that in their first battle with Lucian, an Elite Four member.

**[14:35 P.M.] Route 205 (Pokémon Center Lodge), Sinnoh Region – One Year, Seven Months, Fifteen Days Ago**

Lucian was using Bronzong against Buizel and began the match. Dawn ordered for Buizel to use Aqua Jet—but he didn't listen. Instead he used Water Gun as Lucian countered with Iron Defense. Bronzong shielded itself with its metallic arms and brushed the attack off easily.

Dawn ordered again for Buizel to use Aqua Jet. Ignoring his trainer again, Buizel used Sonic Boom instead. He was playing by his own rules because he knew Dawn couldn't grasp the idea of battling as he had done it for years. Lucian ordered an Iron Defense again and the Sonic Boom did nothing. Then Lucian attacked with Gyro Ball on Buizel.

Dawn ordered Buizel to dodge the attack, but it was no use. Buizel had launched a head-on assault with Aqua Jet, was quickly overpowered, and brought to the ground. But Buizel stood up tall again as Lucian marveled at his fighting spirit. Impressed by Buizel's willpower, Lucian ordered a final assault with Flash Cannon.

Dawn was now begging for Buizel to listen to her as she ordered him to dodge the attack. As had all of her previous orders, her last was ignored as Buizel launched his most powerful Water Gun against the raging silver beam of energy. No match for Flash Cannon, Buizel was enveloped in its raw power and slammed into a tree, landing on the ground. His mind seemed to leave him as he tried to stand up and fight, but he was swallowed by darkness.

Later on, Lucian decided to make amends with Buizel and Dawn to help them discover each other's style, only to be interrupted and Buizel abducted by none other than Team Rocket once again. Buizel was locked in a spherical cage reinforced with steel. It looked like it was expertly crafted and nearly impossible to break. Down below, Lucian told the others to leave him be, that this would be Buizel's chance to forget his humiliating defeat.

Buizel then grabbed the bars at the top of the cage, spun his tail in rapid circles like he was swimming. He released a barrage of continuous Sonic Booms. Each shock of forceful water slowly created cracks in the metal gauze until it shattered. He then landed on the ground tired, but unscathed. As the trio of thieves turned their attention to their would-be victim, Lucian stepped forward to demonstrate Buizel's battle style to Dawn.

Jessie and James ordered their Dustox and Carnivine out into battle as Buizel stood fixed. Jessie ordered a Tackle attack and James ordered a Bite attack. Dawn began to panic slightly as she pleaded for him to dodge it. However, Lucian had already picked up Buizel's mannerisms and knew how to handle the assault as he directed a Water Gun attack.

Buizel quickly mopped the two Pokémon up with his swift moves and Lucian's orders, and Dawn was beginning to see that when ordered the way Buizel wanted, he would do it at ease. Lucian ordered one last Water Gun and launched the Team Rocket trio skyward once more.

Buizel, now satisfied that Dawn understood his battle style better, challenged Lucian to another Pokémon battle. Lucian opened up with Bronzong again as he ordered a Gyro Ball attack. Dawn ordered Buizel to dodge that attack, and he followed suit. Dawn ordered two attacks on Buizel's part and Lucian ordered an Iron Defense both times. Buizel and Dawn had followed each other much more closely than before. However, Lucian recalled his Bronzong saying that they've already demonstrated having a closer bond and that there was no need to finish the battle. He thanked them and wished Dawn and Buizel good luck as he took his leave.

Looking on as another decent human went away before him, Buizel thought to himself. _Thanks, Lucian. I hope to battle you again for real one day!_

Since then, Buizel had just about adjusted to life in a group, a group of friends. He had never been more pleased in all of his life. Ever since the day he had fallen from the waterfall and sworn revenge against all humans, he had lived alone and fearful. He felt that if he was ever accepted into a group, even if he tried, he would be later rejected like he had been at some point, like bleeding almost to the point of death at the feet of a cruel and sadistic human.

However, Buizel found that this was not the case with this group. He stuck with them through all that happened. But one thing still nagged him from the inside out. While it was true that Dawn had used Buizel many times during regular battles in the field, he wasn't being _trained_ in the same way. He was being trained for contests.

And Buizel _hated _contests for everything that they were worth. He didn't like the dressing up dynamic, he didn't like showing off in a shower of sparkles, and he most definitely didn't like looking like a haughty princess on a stage. He wanted to be in the thick of a battle for honor, dignity, and old fashioned blood, sweat, and tears—something that Dawn's style severely lacked.

**[11:40 P.M.] Route 209 (Pokémon Center), Sinnoh Region – One Year, Five Months Ago**

About four months since he was captured, Dawn's friend and rival Zoey appeared while they had made a stop at the nearest Pokémon Center. All of them had decided to do some training. Ash had just recently acquired a Chimchar from Paul, his rival, and sent out Aipom as well to give her a challenge. In contrast, Zoey sent out her Glameow and Dawn called Buizel out for his contest debut while Brock stood at the sidelines to look for any imperfections. Although seemingly determined on the outside, in his mind he was grumbling.

Buizel mentally scoffed as he listened to Dawn's contest encouragement. _Why can't she realize that I am not built for this kind of crap?_

Dawn had used Buizel relentlessly during training lessons, often against Pikachu. His battle training sessions as far as power and accuracy increases were immensely fun and productive, but when Dawn pitted him against her Pokémon for her upcoming contest, he grew quickly frustrated when his attacks were good, but did nothing to show him off. Buizel thought that if an attack is powerful and deals damage to opponent that would already be showing off enough.

Of course, the idea in a contest is to use attacks, movements, and apparel to glamorize and beautify how a Pokémon looks. In a contest battle, the battle was decided by either time limit, points at the time limit, or battle ready condition of the Pokémon before the time limit. Realistically, most contest battles never ended with a Pokémon defeated. It ended most commonly when one side was _outclassed_ by the amount of points lost and the time had run out. Buizel hated strutting around like that because he got his fame back at the river on raw power and speed.

During the practice battle, Buizel was getting nowhere fast. He could only focus on making an attack powerful. Plus, his attention was diverted away from his own battlefield over to the one with Ash's training. _Ash _was exactly the kind of battle trainer that Buizel desperately wanted. But, unfortunately, Dawn had caught him, and with that there was no way he could become Ash's Pokémon.

Until Zoey stepped in, that is. She had noticed one thing months ago when she, Dawn, and Ash had competed in the same contest. Ash's Aipom was competing in that contest and showed a remarkable aptitude for it. Her moves were graceful and powerful, two key elements in a contest appeal. Even then, Zoey had suggested that Dawn should take Aipom under her wing to further her contest abilities. Back then though, Ash didn't think that the idea was necessary. He thought that Aipom was his, after all, and that she would be happy with whatever battle he needed her for.

Now Zoey noticed Buizel and Dawn's relationship. Buizel did not like contests one bit, while Aipom liked to participate in contests. She figured that the two of them should make a trade, and give Aipom to Dawn and Buizel to Ash. The idea was a pretty radical one, after all, Ash had grown a very close bond to Aipom. Buizel on the other hand was willing to make the transition immediately.

Later on in the day, Buizel paired up with Ash in a practice battle against Brock, and Dawn paired up with Aipom in a practice contest battle against Zoey. Not long after the crew had set up their sides, the insistent Team Rocket trio made their appearance and captured Brock's Sudowoodo as well as Zoey's Glameow.

Dawn and Ash knew that this was the perfect opportunity to test their coordination with their new respective Pokémon. Buizel and Ash demonstrated raw power by freeing Sudowoodo with his water gun, while Dawn and Aipom freed Glameow with a combination Swift attack. To finish it off, Buizel re-launched a Water Gun attack, sending the Team Rocket trio into oblivion.

After that ordeal, it was obvious that Aipom and Dawn would be totally compatible with each other in future contests, and Buizel had finally found a worthwhile battle partner in Ash. Both parties headed back to the Pokémon center and imputed their Pokémon into the Trading Machine. Both of them held their breath when they pulled down the lever together, and then the two found new partners.

Ever since that day, Buizel had never felt more at home or in the right place and he felt complete. For the first time, Buizel could travel to other places without the worry of food or transport. He could also gain strength by battling consistently strong opponents. With Ash, he battled only the best, and thus received the best conditioning and seasoning any Pokémon could've asked for. And finally, he finally had something that he never knew he could want so much.

Buizel finally made friends.

He found so many while traveling with Ash and it overwhelmed him with a joy he never thought possible. Possibly the greatest Pokémon he had ever met was Pikachu. He had become best friends with him and learned much from their countless battles together.

Even more remarkably to him, Buizel also found a true friend in Ash. Up until his trade, Buizel had actively despised humans. After all, the first human he ever saw ran away and let him take the blame for disturbing the peace, the second one saw his bleeding body and walked away without any compassion, and even to an extent Dawn never let Buizel's full potential emerge.

However, Ash was in a class of his own. Buizel could sense that if a situation ever came, Ash would trade his own life to save Buizel, instead of abandon him and save his own.

Buizel had never expected Ash to be so open to him, to let his true nature show, and to let his abilities overwhelm opponents and win matches. They connected like magnets, just as Ash and Pikachu had, and they communicated perfectly. Buizel knew though that Pikachu would forever be in a special place in Ash's soul, but Ash realized Buizel's aptitude for battling and let him partake in many of the same pivotal battles that Pikachu had fought in. He had even tied with a Lucario from the Veilstone Gym, earning Ash his third badge. Buizel never felt so accomplished in his life. Meanwhile in the Pokémon Center, Buizel never felt so many aches in his life—discounting falling off a waterfall, of course.

**[17:20 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Pokémon Center), Sinnoh Region**

_Agh, this hurts like hell… _Buizel thought to himself. _I hope it'll pass by soon._

He heard all of the soft beeps in the room and snapped back into reality. After all, he needed to get out of the stretcher as soon as possible, so he tried to get up and walk but his legs screamed with agony. Suddenly, he felt himself gently pushed back down onto his stretcher. He slowly opened his eyes and saw Pikachu sitting next to him on his stretcher and his trainer and friend, Ash Ketchum, standing beside the stretcher with his hands keeping Buizel down.

"Buizel, please rest! Nurse Joy said you'd be fine by tomorrow!" His face was full of worry as he kept both hands on Buizel. Buizel couldn't just lay there in the Pokémon Center and do nothing. He knew that Ash had a Gym battle to go to. Buizel tried once again to get up.

"Bui, bui bu—bugh!" Buizel cried out. Buizel had felt his legs exploding in pain as though needles were piercing his skin.

"No, you're not fine, Buizel." Ash sternly told his Pokémon. Ash immediately put his hand beneath Buizel's head and the other on his chest and forced him back down.

Buizel looked at his trainer and said, "Bu bui, bui bah bui!"

"Buizel, don't even worry about it!" Ash said, still pressing Buizel back down onto the stretcher. Then he spoke with his face full of seriousness and worry. "I would never have any one of my Pokémon injured while I am at a Gym battle, you know that. And besides, I can wait for tomorrow. Just relax."

Ash then took his hand from under Buizel's head and began stroking his forehead gently back and forth. Buizel was very surprised.

"Bu… bui?" he asked. The only one who usually got this treatment was Pikachu.

"You were absolutely awesome out there on the battle field today! I can't even tell you how proud I am to have you on my team!" Ash said while standing next to Buizel. Ash's expression turned from one of seriousness and worry to one of calm determination and fierce pride. Buizel felt Ash's hand stroke his head up and down and slowly his heart stopped pounding erratically and it slowed down.

"Believe it or not, you are the first Pokémon I've ever had to have been able to beat a Pokémon from an Elite Four member," Ash stated matter-of-factly as Buizel's eyes flew wide with surprise and he looked at Ash's face with a huge smile. Ash returned it with a grin of his own.

"An old friend of mine, Charizard, challenged Prima of the Kanto Elite Four the same way you challenged Lucian. He was so full of arrogance, self-determination, and he didn't listen to me at all," Ash said. Buizel grimaced as he remembered that not too long ago he was also a one man show and failed miserably.

"He didn't do too well, and a lot of it was my fault. I hadn't trained Charizard very well, and I wasn't experienced enough to communicate or cooperate with him. We both failed," Ash said, without much of an afterthought.

"The second time we had a devastating loss," Ash continued. Buizel looked up at his trainer and saw Ash noticeably ashamed of himself. "Drake was the strongest of the Elite Four of Hoenn, and for good reason. He saw a previous battle of mine and challenged me to take him on. I of course was a little overconfident and accepted.

"He sent out a Shelgon, a Dragon type, and I sent out Pikachu as a safety measure," Ash sighed. Pikachu was listening contently, and he his ears drooped slightly in remembrance of that day. "I had ordered Pikachu to start out with Thunderbolt to strike at long distance, but it didn't work. I became so fired up that I ordered an Iron Tail. Of course, Drake was expecting that.

"He saw my weakness when I ordered a physical attack. He ordered a Dragonbreath, which left Pikachu no room to dodge at such a close range. Pikachu was soundly defeated, and then he recalled Shelgon and sent out Altaria. I sent out Grovyle, who's now a Sceptile. He's very, very, powerful and has helped me win countless battles at the Battle Frontier later on, but this time his power wasn't enough."

Buizel looked at his trainer again and saw that he was really beat down about the whole ordeal.

"I tried every trick I knew, but nothing helped at all. I was too overconfident, and too sure of myself that I couldn't think straight. Both Pikachu and Grovyle had lost with barely any attacks hitting their target." Both Buizel and Pikachu noticed Ash's hand balled up into a tight first.

"We lost, and it was entirely my fault," Ash said through his gritted teeth. "Pikachu and Grovyle performed the best they could, but I failed them."

Buizel was thoroughly awestruck. He had never seen his trainer speak so badly of himself. He looked over to Pikachu who was nodding solemnly.

"Pikapi, pikachu pi," Pikachu spoke to Buizel.

Buizel nodded at Pikachu and looked back at Ash who, surprisingly, began relax his body and even carved a smile on his face.

"Then the third time, I was returning back home to Pallet Town, and I came across an old lady on her bicycle bringing back groceries." Ash chuckled a little at the thought.

"She was about to fall off," he continued, "And she may have really hurt herself if we hadn't been there. When I helped her up, I had unknowingly met Agatha of the Kanto Elite Four."

"A man named Scott had been there talking to me at the time, and he wanted me to battle Agatha to see if I was Battle Frontier material," Ash grinned to himself. "I didn't know that Agatha was an Elite Four member at the time, but I accepted anyway."

"I sent out Pikachu and she sent out a Gengar. We couldn't have had a better battle that day." Ash smiled very fondly at his first Pokémon and Pikachu cooed back affectionately.

"That was the first time I took on an Elite Four member and did not regret the way I lost. Pikachu and I worked perfectly together, he at his top form, and I without any thoughts or anger to stop me." Ash stopped and paused remembering that day how everything was so synchronized and his mind was clear of all thoughts but the battle.

"We lost, though, but we managed to hit Gengar with many attacks. Our attacks didn't do enough damage to bring him down because his level was so high, but it was still a spectacular battle. That time we didn't lose because we somehow messed up, Agatha was just better. And…

"That brings us back to you Buizel!" Ash now beamed at him and Buizel looked back at Ash. "You defeated an Elite Four member, and you are the first Pokémon of mine to have ever done so! I am very, very proud of you!"

Buizel's face turned ecstatic. He had passed out on the battle field and didn't even realize what the outcome was. Now, it was undeniable, he had beaten member of the Elite Four!

"But I need to apologize, Buizel…" Ash began to talk again. "I definitely drove you way to far today, and you could've been even more injured than now. We won, but only very closely, and I could've left the battle with regret."

Buizel then tried to talk Ash out of his thoughts, "Bui! Bui, bui, bubui!"

"Buizel, I made a mistake. Yeah, we won, but the price was too high," Ash looked at Buizel and knew exactly what he meant, but continued. "You could've been really seriously injured…"

Buizel then looked at his trainer who was looking back at him with a glint of deep care in his eyes.

"I would never forgive myself if I had gotten you hurt any more than you were today. You could've broken a bone or ruptured something inside. I don't want to ever face the pain of sending anyone into critical condition. No one, especially a friend."

And then Buizel felt something he had felt well up in his eyes for a very long time. Tear drops formed in the corners of his eyes.

Ash smiled to his Pokémon, "You're part of my family, Buizel. I am so proud of you."

Buizel felt the drop from his own eyes fall onto his cheek as Ash took his hand from Buizel's forehead and held Buizel's paw with both hands.

A few moments of quiet passed between the trainer and his Pokémon, his friend and ally, his family. Ash kept his hand on Buizel's paw as he rubbed it gently. Then he dropped it, brought his arm towards Pikachu, and let him climb onto his shoulder.

"I couldn't have asked for a better friend. I'm just glad you're alright," Ash spoke softly.

Buizel looked up at Ash and wiped the tears in his eyes with his paw. He felt completely calm and peaceful, even after an intense battle with one of the best trainers in the world.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot!" Ash began, regaining his cheerfulness. "I don't want to challenge the gym here until you're up to it. You've done such an awesome job today, I think you've earned it to battle in the next Gym no matter what type your opponents are. Though, you can say no if you want?"

"Bui, bui! Bu bui!" Buizel instantly told Ash he was up to it and pumped his paw up.

Ash smiled at his partner with a warm grin and pumped his fist in the air as well.

"I thought you might say that!"

* * *

_Dear Readers,_

Also not much of a chapter to edit, just minor grammatical nuances here and there. For genderless Pokémon it would be more appropriate to use pronouns _it_ or _its_, but if the Pokémon has a clear gender characteristic like Celebi, it would be appropriate to use gendered pronouns. If I were to ever publish this, I would most definitely shorten up this chapter and focus merely on Buizel's psyche as opposed to rote history. I intend to have every one of his Pokémon have history and character like he, but right now it is not feasible.

* * *

_Story Notes:_

14 years after – Buizel is captured

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

Updated, 09/10/08

| third person stream of consciousness attempt/new human-Pokémon interaction/glorify Buizel/ |

original title, "Reverie"

RE: edit. 08/31/11


	9. Aquapolis

**Chapter Three: Aquapolis**

_Ash is a remarkable trainer_, Flint Timber thought to himself. _He has done so many things that other trainers wouldn't do even in their dreams! He defeated me, Elite Four member! And he wormed out of melting battlefield and he even goes to sit at a Pokémon's stretcher until him wakes up, just to comfort him, a sign of compassion every trainer should, but not all have…_

**[17:25 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Pokémon Center), Sinnoh Region**

After the battle, Sunyshore City was a three minute's run from the charred, blackened, and partially melted battle field. Getting there was a tad chaotic with all of the apologies, congratulations, and small introductions, but with a worn-out Buizel in Ash's arms they _did_ need to run expediently.

Flint was sitting in the lobby of the Sunyshore City Pokémon Center across from Brock and Dawn. Brock was busy feeding his baby Happiny and Dawn was twiddling her thumbs, sitting idly without Piplup beside her. Brock mentioned that he was still a licensed Gym Leader of Pewter city which impressed Flint greatly, but much of the rest of the small talk was focused on Buizel's recovery. Dawn recalled how Buizel came to be a member of the group and how he was eventually traded to Ash and Flint followed the story to the letter. But now that all was cleared up, the only thing to do was wait.

Flint may have looked like someone from a comic book at first, considering his red afro and bright yellow mesh shirt, but his battle style and abilities were well known across the Sinnoh land. He was a member of the Elite Four after all, an incredibly young one at twenty-two years old, and his title pretty much spoke for himself. Flint knew that Ash was an impressive trainer beforehand, but he had to find out up close and personal. He might have on his own accord to satisfy his own curiosity, but as fate would have it he was actually given an order to do such.

Cynthia Apologue was the supreme trainer in all of Sinnoh, the Champion of the entire region, and she was without a doubt one of the most beautiful women Flint had ever laid eyes upon. She wore a long, black, silk dress that stretched down to her ankles, a pair of long, black, silk pants underneath, closed toe high heels, and a single golden fastener across the top. Her dress had black, fluffy cuffs around the wrists, a black, fluffy outline at the bottom, and three silver tear drop shaped ornaments at her chest. She also wore two black tear drop shaped ear rings, a black, fluffy choker, and her hair was a fine, sandy blonde that reached as long as her dress in gorgeous curls.

Her semi-conservative looks were deceiving and spoke nothing of her accomplishments at a record breaking age of twenty-three. She had incredible Pokémon each nearly as powerful as the next, and she commanded each one with grace while each replied with stunning attacks and devastating results. Her trump card was definitely her Garchomp, a Ground and Dragon Pokémon that could withstand many of the most powerful attacks ever known including Blizzard, Frenzy Plant, and Giga Impact. She hadn't lost a single battle in years and hasn't seen the light of a challenger via the Sinnoh league ever since she assumed the role, courtesy of the Elite Four's abilities and prowess.

She was also a very odd, yet easily likable character. On the battlefield she was necessarily cold, cunning, and calculating, but off the battlefield was a totally different person. She was extremely outgoing to those she met and greatly knowledgeable about most things Pokémon. Often she would get some ice cream only to have bought it after thinking about which flavor to pick for fifteen minutes. As the general leader of the Elite Four and Sinnoh League, she often invited some of her colleagues to dinner or get-togethers. Flint normally had time for such things and frequently met up with Cynthia. However, the last time they met, Flint was thoroughly surprised; she had asked him to go out on a job, and not on an ice cream hang-out.

**[10:52 A.M.] Pokémon League Summit, Sinnoh Region**

"Flint, can I ask you something?" Cynthia asked.

"Sure, whatever you want! Go ahead!" Flint asked eagerly.

Cynthia furrowed her brow as she spoke, "I've got a job for you, but I don't really know where to begin."

"Well, spit it out, whatever it is," Flint said. _I hope I don't have to wait unnecessarily for half a day for her to say it…_

"I think you may already know this, but our dear friend Volkner is over-renovating his gym and causing rolling blackouts in Sunyshore City."

"And I think you already know that he's just bored out of his wits!" Flint retaliated. "Man, he just needs a real challenger to really heat him up and get his determination back!"

"That's where I have a suggestion," Cynthia said as she smiled at her long-time friend and rival. "Have you ever heard of a young man named Ash?"

"I think so… yeah! It was Ketchup! No, wait. Ketchum, that's the guy!" Flint remembered aloud. "Yeah, I know him. He used a smoking hot Charizard and completely steamed his opponent's Blastoise the one time I managed to see the Johto League up close!"

"Do I need to remind you that it was Gary Oak, Samuel Oak's grandson who was defeated?"

"Oh, dude, you're right! Dang, that kid is good."

"Last I checked, Ash is headed on his way from Snowpoint City through Veilstone to Sunyshore," Cynthia continued, knowing that the matter was settled. I think it would be a good idea to recruit him in Volkner's direction. He does need a final badge after all."

"Hey, that's a sure fire idea!" Flint said to the Sinnoh Champion. "But you know, I think I'll test him out before I get him to go to the gym. I want to see if he's really got what it takes. My old pal of mine is no push-over."

Cynthia began egging her friend on, "Really? Well, I bet he could actually beat you! Ash is no pushover either!"

"HA! No way, man," Flint laughed. I'll probably incinerate him before he gets to call out his first Pokémon!"

"If you say so, Flint," Cynthia sighed. _Why does he always have to say so many things related to fire in his conversations?_

"Oh, and one last thing," Cynthia added.

"Oh, man, now what do I have to do?"

"Just…call me up when Ash and his friends are at the Pokémon Center," Cynthia paused for a few moments, thinking about how to go about doing this. "Maybe after you guys had your battle and taken your Pokémon to Nurse Joy? I would like to know when you've arrived."

"Let me guess. You want me to get back to you as soon as possible so we can leave for the 'secret mission'," Flint raised both his hands and bunny-eared the secret mission part.

"You know, beneath that fro, you're pretty smart."

"I know, I know. It's what I do," Flint said as he stuck up his thumb at Cynthia. She rolled her eyes and smiled, but Flint pressed onward. "But something tells me you aren't just using us in this operation."

"That's two right in a row," Cynthia commended.

"You want Ash to come with us," Flint continued.

"That's three."

"Why?"

Cynthia just chuckled slightly. "I thought you would've figured that out by now."

"But if you need backup, wouldn't it be a bit easier to get Lance or something? I mean, Johto League Champ and all?"

"No offense, but if I actually needed his caliper of backup, I wouldn't be asking you and Lucian would I?"

"Hah. None taken. But still, why Ash? Look. I know he's strong and all, but he hasn't even placed first in any regional league yet. He's not exactly an Elite by any stretch of the imagination."

"From what several people have told me, Ash is a person who doesn't disappoint. And as far as I'm concerned, he is already an Elite, an Elite at heart. Besides! If he really has to, he can hold his own in battle."

"Whatever then. If you want him to tag along, I guess I don't really have a problem with that," Flint stated. Flint put his hands into his pocket and tried to understand why the heck Cynthia is so fond of this Ash guy, but decided it was easier just to take orders.

Cynthia smiled and slyly said to Flint, "I thought you would. Now head on over to Route 222 and see if Flint of the Elite Four can beat Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town."

"Is that a challenge?" Flint tauntingly asked.

"Maybe...?" Cynthia coed back.

"A challenge is a challenge," Flint sighed. Then he spoke with resolution and burning passion, "I accept."

**[17:11 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Pokémon Center), Sinnoh Region**

And now Flint was sitting at the Pokémon Center, contemplating the aftermath of an epic battle he will not soon forget.

_I battled a fifteen year old kid, and I got my afro handed to me. _Flint thought. _Crap._ _Cynthia's going to have a ball now knowing I've been beat by a kid! _

_Hah!_ he chuckled, _She's right, after all. There is something special about him._

"Yo. Brock, Dawn, do you want to check up on Ash? He's been in there for a while," Flint asked.

"Yeah, let's go," Dawn said as she stood up from the sofa.

"I'll follow you guys," Brock conceded as he looked up and slowly heaved himself off of the couch. He then re-called Happiny from his arms back into her ball.

At that very instant, Nurse Joy of Sunyshore City walked through the hallway out of Buizel's ward. Brock, feeling his hormones kick in, ran over to the young nurse and began his characteristic swoon.

"Oh, Nurse Joy! Your beauty is unmatched throughout all of the land of Sinnoh!" Brock began, grabbing a thoroughly unsuspecting Joy by the hands, he spoke.

"Huh? Uh…" the poor nurse stammered.

"Yo, dude, you feeling alright?" Flint just stood there wide-eyed and rapidly blinking.

"Brock's always been a lady lover. We can't really stop him. But…" Dawn said, nervously laughing.

Nurse Joy stayed completely flabbergasted. After all, she had just come out of a room with an exhausted Pokémon inside. But persistent Brock continued his wickedly effective 'charm'.

"Nurse Joy of Sunyshore City, even the heat of the sun that beats down on the city can't compare with my heated love for–ACK!" He stopped abruptly. "…you…ACK!"

At that, Brock fell face down on the floor courtesy of his Croagunk.

Dawn continued semi-embarrassedly, "His Croagunk's on his case for us."

The Pokémon resembled an upright toad, with large, yellow, bulb-like eyes with a black outline, and blue body. He had feet divided into three black long "toes", his waist had section of white bands in the middle, and his hands would normally have an orange finger in the middle of his black hand, but now had a bright purple glow—the signature of a Poison Jab attack.

To keep Brock and his raging hormones in check, Croagunk took the liberty of jolt-stabbing his trainer to snap him out of his real-life soap operas. Today, once again, he did his job as he hefted Brock's paralyzed carcass off to the side with a mirthful chuckle.

"Excuse me, Nurse Joy?" Flint regained his composure as he asked the flabbergasted nurse. "Could you please tell me which ward Buizel and the boy are?"

Nurse Joy also quickly regained her senses and pointed, "Oh, why yes, they are in the third room on your right, down this hallway."

"Thanks," Flint winked at the Nurse. He saw her blush slightly and thought to himself, Y_ou've still got it, stud monkey_.He headed to the ward as quietly as possible, Dawn following suit, and Croagunk in their wake dragging his paralyzed trainer with him.

As soon as Flint reached the large glass pane that divided the hallway and the room inside, he stopped. Ash was holding his injured partner's paw and talking his words of encouragement.

_Wow, _Flint thought. _Ash really is_ _in a class of his own._

Flint stood outside the large glass pane waiting for Ash to finish up. Slowly, Brock got up to his feet and recalled his Croagunk, who was satisfied there wasn't another attractive girl in the area. Brock and Dawn too stopped at the sight of their friend calming his Buizel.

"Hey, Brock, does Ash ever do this regularly?" Flint began to ask.

"Yeah, several times in the past. Why?" he replied, having regained his basic motor skills.

"I've never seen another trainer who ever cared for Pokémon as deeply as he does," Flint then smiled to himself and dropped his gaze slightly. "Especially at this age."

Brock returned the gesture and replied, "He did so ever since he started his journey."

"Really?" Flint skeptically asked.

"Really. I first saw it when I had met him in our first battle we had together. It was his first Gym Battle back in Pewter City and he had absolutely no idea what he was doing. He tried pitting his Pikachu against my Geodude and Onix but he didn't realize that he couldn't win the badge by traditional battling."

"Really? I thought Ash was some kind of a Gym challenge pro!" Dawn exclaimed, now her turn to be very surprised. "I know when I started my journey I was really awful, but I never thought Ash could've also been!"

"Yeah, believe it or not, every trainer starts out a total noob," Flint chuckled slightly. "You know, spelt with two zeros and everything."

"I eventually gave him the Boulder Badge, not because he won, but because he showed that he was truly kind to all Pokémon," Brock continued. "He stubbornly kept using Pikachu against my Pokémon, but his electricity did next to nothing against my Rock and Ground types. The uncontrolled electricity accidentally set off the sprinklers, spraying water all over the Gym and my Onix. He wanted to continue to use the Thundershock, but he decided against it. He knew that all of that water would've put Onix in more pain than he was already."

"So Ash had gotten the Boulder Badge out of pity?" Flint asked, half smiling and half laughing.

"Yeah, but you know what I mean," Brock also chuckled a bit. "You are a member of the Elite Four after all."

"Yeah, I understand. Ash deserved the Badge regardless of whether he lost or not, because he showed the care that he had for your Onix."

"Wait, so as a Gym Leader, you can say whether or not a challenger actually gets the badge, even if they win?" Dawn asked.

"Yep. And now, I think I can safely say that I made a good choice." Brock replied.

Flint smiled to himself and agreed. "I think you did too."

The three stood there waiting for Ash to finish up with Buizel. After Ash asked Buizel about his participation in the next gym, Flint lightly tapped on the glass pane. Ash looked up at him and Flint waved his hand to ask if he could come in. Ash waved back as a yes.

Flint, Dawn, and Brock opened the door to see Buizel laying down on the stretcher and Ash standing beside him. Pikachu stood on Ash's shoulder and the three stood against the wall and began to talk

"Congratulations, Ash," Flint said.

"Aw thanks but it wasn't really me, it was Buizel!" Ash replied. "He should be taking the credit."

"In that case, congratulations, Buizel!" Flint said as he approached Buizel in his stretcher with his hand held out. "You've defeated a member of the Sinnoh Elite Four and I must say it was one of the best battles I've ever seen!"

Buizel shook Flint's hand and replied, "Bu, Bui!"

"It was an honor," Flint said in vague reply. He let go of Buizel's paw and began to speak again.

"Hey, Buizel? You did an awesome job back there!" Dawn congratulated her former Pokémon. "I know I couldn't work with you like Ash did back when Lucian came around, but I'm so glad you and Ash worked hand in hand!"

Buizel responded as best he could, "Bubui."

"Alright, I guess I've got a bit of explaining to do," Flint said slapping his hands together. "Whatever your questions are, just ask"

Ash immediately asked, "How did you know my name?"

"Haha, not to be a stalker or anything but I saw you at the Johto League Silver Conference, and I've got to say, it was one of the most incredible battles I have ever seen!" Flint said, looking at the budding trainer. "You must've been very proud of your Charizard for defeating Gary Oak's strongest Pokémon."

Ash gaped, "You mean you saw that?"

"Pi, pikachu?" Pikachu was also very surprised.

"Of course I did. Dude, you've got a seriously hot Charizard there. He probably could stand neck and neck with the rest of my team."

"Wow, thanks a bunch Flint!"

"Don't mention it!" Flint replied with a toothy grin.

"One more thing, why did you find me anyways?" Ash asked. "What're you doing here?"

"Well, I used to live here back when I was a kid, and I grew up next to a very good friend of mine," Flint then sighed and stared at his shoes thinking about what to say next. "We used to be nothing more than rivals back then, but eventually we settled our differences and became best of friends. Now I'm very worried about him. His name is Volkner."

"You see, Volkner was one of the best trainers in all of Sunyshore City, but he wasn't good enough to challenge the Elite Four back in his day," Flint sighed. "Don't get me wrong, I wasn't ready either back then, but he chose to stay behind and become the Gym Leader of this city while I traveled all over for months to train for the championship."

"I don't see what the problem is," Brock asked.

"Volkner has now lost the will to stay at the Gym, and regrets his decision of staying behind," Flint took a seep long sigh trying to sort out how he was going to word the dilemma. "He wants to move on, and possibly take the Elite Four challenge, and abandon his post as Gym Leader. Everyone thinks he's lazy but I know he's just bored out of his wits! He hasn't had anyone good challenge him in so many months, so he's just renovating his Gym, sucking power from the city reserves, and trying to entertain himself."

Ash then thought of an idea. "Hey! If Volkner needs a challenger, then why don't I go on in and challenge him? I need an eighth badge anyway!"

"Yeah, Ash would be perfect for Volkner! No need to worry!" Dawn said.

"That's exactly why I'm here," Flint smiled and glanced up at the young teens. I wanted to make sure you were directed to get my friend his burning passion back. Ash, I assume you accept, right?"

"Of course I accept! If there is anyone who should battle a Gym Leader, it's me!"

"Pikapi! Pi pikachu!" Pikachu agreed.

"I'm glad you said that. Well, now that that's done, I just need to place a phone call," Flint said as motioned toward the ward exit.

"Wait, who're you going to call?" Ash asked.

"Cynthia," Flint stated simply. "She just told me to call her when we got to the Pokémon Center to make sure you got the message. She's the one who sent me to get you. It's a long story."

"Wow, so Cynthia sent you here? Hey, then can we come too?" Ash asked.

"Yeah, please? I haven't seen Cynthia in such a long time!" Dawn pleaded.

"Sure! Why not?"

"Alright, great! Come on guys, let's go!" Ash exclaimed as he lead Brock and Dawn towards the door. Ash turned around towards Buizel before he left. "Hey, Buizel? Just sit tight there and go to sleep. After what you've been through, you could use the rest."

Buizel lay down on his stretcher and closed his eyes. "Bui…"

Ash walked over to his stretcher, leaned over his Pokémon and said, "Good night, Buizel. You've done an awesome job. I'm proud of you."

He stroked the back of Buizel's head a last time, got back up, turned off the lights, and then followed Brock, softly closing the door behind him leaving Buizel to rest for the final Sinnoh Gym battle.

* * *

_Dear Readers,_

I've decided to give Cynthia a last name as well, something that fits her personality very well and goes together with her family in a similar way. I feel like Professor Apologue is a science sounding name, right? The way I see it, and the way that Bulbapedia sees it, Cynthia could be a take on the word _synthesis,_ which means to combine or create. An apologue is nothing more than a legend. She has said time and again that her goal is to figure out the Time-Space legend, so Cynthia Apologue is very fitting for her.

* * *

_Story Notes:_

7 years ago – Cynthia Apologue is born

6 years ago – Flint Timber is born

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

Uploaded, 11/27/08

| filler chapter attempt/Flint plot device success/dialogue experimentation |

original title, "Q and A"

RE: edit. 09/01/11

second original title, "Questions and Answers"

| included last name/arranged dialogue to fit Flint |

RE: edit. 10/29/12


	10. Skyridge

**Chapter Four: Skyridge**

Without a doubt, Sinnoh was probably her favorite region in the entire world. It had everything, the ocean, rolling hills, frozen wonderlands, treacherous mountains, and of course some of the best vertical views a woman could ask for.

**[17:36 P.M.] Pokémon League Summit, Sinnoh Region**

Cynthia ran this thought in her mind as she paced around in her residential quarters on the mountain plateau of the Sinnoh League. As Sinnoh Champion, she had to be close to headquarters, thus, her home was only a walk away. Everything in the region was close to her, her work, her family, her friends—Sinnoh was her home, and she would do anything to protect it.

Usually she was out in the field doing training, researching ancient Sinnoh legends, or eating ice cream, but today it was crucial that she would be in a fixed location. After all, most of the places she went, like Mt. Coronet, couldn't receive any cell phone service due to the remoteness of the setting, so she couldn't be alerted of any news unless she was close to a landline.

Cynthia paced some more and ran over the plan she had perfectly laid out several days ago. She couldn't afford any mess-ups with so many lives at stake. All she had to do was to wait for the phone call from Flint, and then carry everything out as she planned.

The Sinnoh Pokémon League was perched on a mountain on an island north of Sunyshore City but south of Stark Mountain. The range was naturally smaller because the island developed later and rose up into the sky to roughly two thousand meters into the air. The Pokémon league stood just short of the very top, on a plateau of the mountain just behind a large lake spring. The elevation caused the spring lake to overflow and generate an impressive waterfall, which was instantly sighted by any who passed through the Victory Road cave.

Cynthia's house was just out of sight of the league, roughly five minutes of brisk walking across the mountain terrain. Her house was a wooden cabin, admittedly unfitting for an impressively paid elite champion, but suiting her very modest and cozy lifestyle. On her wooden door lay a typical "Welcome Home" sign, and beside the doorstep in front of the wall lay several potted flowers.

Inside, her whole house lay inside of her living room with only a single wall and corner walkway separating it from her bedroom. Upon entering through her door, her coat and bag hanger lay to her upper right while on her left held the kitchen and dining bar. The front held the living room with a circular red and blue embossed carpet spanning the entire wooden panel floor, a modest TV and stand in the corner, a videophone right next to it, and three plush couches in the center. Cynthia made good use of the carpet, especially in times like this.

She wasn't the only one in the living room. Elite Four member Lucian Gutenberg was quietly sitting in one of the small sofas reading Homer's _The Odyssey _in its original ancient Greek, acquired at a very exotic auction. He was a very intellectual guy, resourceful, and an incredible mentor. Once, he confronted the trio of Pokémon trainers Ash, Brock, and Dawn, and helped Dawn's Buizel to realize certain things he needed to adapt, and likewise with Dawn how she should respond to her knew Pokémon. He had long, purple hair that flowed down to his shoulders and large crystal clear glasses. He wore dark red dress pants, shoes, and a red suit with a purple hued feather in the outer pocket. At a mere thirty years old, he dressed to impress, and his battling skills backed it all up. Lucian was usually calm during hours of anticipation such this, but nonetheless he couldn't help but feel the importance of success with this endeavor.

"Excuse me, Cynthia?" he asked his superior.

"What's up, Lucian?" Cynthia continued to walk up and down the fuzzy carpet hanging her head and using her hands to articulate to herself what she thought.

"It's really unnecessary to pace like that in nervousness. I don't think you're doing yourself any good that way."

"I apologize, you're right, but I cannot help but feel the need to make sure I hadn't left anything out," Cynthia stopped and turner her head toward him.

"I doubt you've left anything out," Lucian quietly closed his book and flicked a smile up at Cynthia. "We are dealing with the biggest crime syndicate in all of Sinnoh so I'm sure you've thought everything out as thoroughly as possible. You have been known for your impressive strategies and decision making on and off the battlefield."

"I know," Cynthia said. "And I appreciate your praise. But, still, I am starting to worry that perhaps Flint didn't—"

_RINGRINGRING! PHONECALLPHONECALL!_

Cynthia bolted over to the video phone and immediately picked it up. Lucian mildly turned his attention to the video phone right behind Cynthia. "I think our wait is over."

"Hello? Is that you Flint?"

Back at the Sunyshore Pokémon Center, Flint started up the video call and began talking, "Yo, Cynth! What's up? You wanted a call right? Here it is, at your service!"

"Well, I'm glad you remembered," Cynthia chuckled to herself and answered back. "So you did find Ash, Brock, and Dawn, right?"

"Yeah, I got all three of them!"

"Hey guys! It's great to see you all again! You too, Pikachu!" At that moment, Ash, Brock, Dawn, and Pikachu reached Flint's side. Cynthia looked up at the adolescent teens.

"Hi, Cynthia! Long time no see!" Ash said excitedly.

"Pika! Pikachu!" Pikachu jumped off of Ash's shoulder and onto the videophone desk.

"Hey, Cynthia! It's great to see you again!" Dawn waved.

Brock, once again feeling his hormones rev back up, rushed to the screen and spoke, "Oh, Cynthia! So many months it has been and my heart is sick with longing!"

"Hey Brock!" Cynthia chuckled at his antics, mentally grateful that he was phoning from miles away. "It's good to see you again as well!"

"Oh, Cynthia! Now that I have seen you again at last, could you cure my lovesick heart with your–ACK...! Not again…!" Brock fell down, paralyzed once again by his Croagunk. Cynthia and Brock's Croagunk chuckled in unison and Cynthia began addressing Flint.

"So, Flint, how did your battle go?"

"Well, hehe," Flint looked at Cynthia and spoke with a slight twitch in his eye. "You've got me beat, Cynth! I really got my afro handed to me with this one."

"Hah! I told you Flint! I TOLD YOU! Ash, congratulations!" Cynthia laughed with such immense satisfaction.

"HEY! It wasn't an official six on six battle, so I still have a chance to beat him you know!" Flint retorted in his defense.

Cynthia flew at the videophone's camera and jabbed a finger at the lens. "I! TOLD! YOU! SO! I totally knew it would happen! I probably should've put my salary on it! You would've lost _so badly_!"

"Jeez, Cynth! How was I supposed to know? Dude, next time, feel free to bet a million bucks on Ash and prepare to lose it! This only happened once!"

"Right, sure, we'll find out at the Sinnoh League when it counts for the record books," Cynthia rolled her eyes. "That million bucks is as good as mine! How about you, Ash? How do you feel about your battle against an Elite Four member?"

"It was really an awesome battle and I couldn't have asked for anything better!" Ash pumped up his fist as he spoke in reply. Then he looked down slightly and lowered his fist. "But now Buizel is in his ward resting up. He really gave it every last bit of energy he had."

"Wait Ash, did I hear correctly? You have Buizel?" Lucian asked, squeezing into the videophone. "I thought Buizel was Dawn's Pokémon."

"Hey, Lucian! How's it going? Yeah, long story short, Dawn and I did a trade," Ash stated.

"Really? Dawn, are you there? What did Ash trade for Buizel?" Lucian asked.

"Hey, Lucian! Ash traded me his Aipom," Dawn replied. "We figured that Aipom really liked contests, and I wasn't cut out to really work with Buizel's in regular battles, and it worked out really well!"

"Well, congratulations Dawn! In hindsight, I see you've made a great choice. I was hoping you would find out what Buizel truly wanted, and I'm glad to see that you did, even though it wasn't quite what I had in mind. I wasn't expecting a trade, but it seems like it worked out perfectly and I'm very glad to hear that! But to business, Cynthia, we'd better not keep these three waiting."

Cynthia then centered herself in the videophone camera. "Alright. Ash, I do believe Flint has mentioned the situation with Volkner and his Gym."

"Yeah, he mentioned. Flint said that I should get Volkner's spirit back with a Gym battle. But I will definitely challenge him. I probably was going to anyways."

"I knew you would be the man for the job, Ash. I know you won't disappoint us," Cynthia grinned. "By the way, just a little side note, when Volkner was at the height of his career he would always demand a four on four battle. Thought I'd give you a little heads up."

"Hey, thanks for the advice, Cynthia!"

"Oh yeah, one more thing. The two of us will be heading over to Sunyshore soon. I, for one, want to have the honor of seeing your last battle in the Sinnoh Gym circuit and your entry point to the Sinnoh League. And I think Lucian wouldn't want to miss out on that either."

"Ash, I didn't have the privilege of seeing your battle skills the last time we met," Lucian behind her nodded as she acknowledged his intentions. "I promised you a battle once you conquered the Sinnoh League, but I think I need to sample your battle skills in the meantime. You are a very promising contestant, if I do say so myself."

Ash was now grinning from ear to ear. "Hey, thanks both of you! I am so psyched about my battle tomorrow!"

"We'll be there in just twenty minutes or so. Don't go anywhere!"

"Alright, bye Cynthia!" Ash called out.

"Pika! Pikachu!" Pikachu said.

"Bye, Cynthia!" Dawn waved goodbye.

"See you soon, Cynth," Flint said.

"Oh… ACK… Cynthia…!" Brock mustered while on the floor.

"Bye, Ash, Dawn, Pikachu, Flint, and Brock! See you soon!" Cynthia chuckled to herself and spoke again. She hung up and quickly hustled around.

Up in the Sinnoh League HQ, Lucian was under the impression they would depart immediately and had already pulled out his specific Poké Ball for the job.

"Cynthia, shouldn't we teleport right now?"

"Well, I still need to make one last phone call," She picked up her modest clasper, Poké Balls, black purse, and slung it around her shoulder before dialed one last number in to her videophone. After a few rings, the line connected through.

"Hello, Mom? Dad?"

Back in humble Celestic Town, two elderly citizens of Sinnoh picked up and saw their one and only Sinnoh Champion daughter smiling at them.

"Darling! It's so good to hear your voice once again!"

"Thanks, guys. It's so good to see you guys again! Hey mom, dad? Are you guys alright?"

"Hey, hey, your old folks can handle themselves," the champion's father replied. "We're fine, but things are starting to get tighter here. We've been keeping tabs on the museum."

"Has anything drastic happened with their re-investigation in the ruins?" Cynthia pressed onward.

"Nothing yet dear, thank God, but we've confirmed that they're using our museum as their base for now," her mother replied, clutching her heart as she did. "Last time they were here they simply made off with the two legendary orbs but now they must be back for something more."

"I was beginning to worry," Cynthia sighed a small relief. "I remember when that trio of admins destroyed the ruins, and thankfully nothing else was taken, but I'm still completely stumped about what they are trying to dig up. I'm coming back though. I have to protect you guys and my hometown."

"Well, it'll be tough. We are the only ones who know about the fact that they're back in Celestic Town," Cynthia's father cautioned. "Your mother and grandmother just went to the museum one day after a holiday weekend to find it was locked! No one else suspects a thing! I mean, they've taken the entire Jenny Police Department hostage, using their own henchmen as temporary Police, and are now using the museum as a base. Anyone who's tried to get inside has been caught and thrown into captivity like the police! We were the lucky ones. We saw them just as they were locking down the entire museum from the inside out. They've even tapped the phone lines of the Pokémon Center, and I don't even know whether they've done the same to the civilian houses!"

"Is it starting to get out of hand?" Cynthia with a burdened voice.

Cynthia's mother looked at her husband and then at her daughter and sighed, "Yes. Things are changing."

"So it'll only be a short amount of time before they finally control all of Celestic Town?"

"Yes," the Sinnoh Champion's parents glanced at each other with a reverberating reply.

A long and stagnant silence settled under the roofs of the champion's parents and over the roof of the champion herself.

Cynthia buried her eyes in her right hand while she held the receiver in her left. Lucian saw this and tenderly put his hand on her shoulder, "Cynthia, they're waiting. The sooner we can solve a small Gym crisis, the sooner we can end Celestic's."

"You're right," Cynthia consented as she took her hand away from her face and talked again to her parents. "This means I'll just have to make Ash aware as quickly as humanly possible."

Her mother sat back upright and talked a slightly frustrated voice, "Cynthia please! I don't understand why you need him to help you! You said it yourself six weeks ago that he didn't come deliberately, you two just happened to meet up! Besides, for goodness sake Cynthia, he's just a boy!"

"Mom. Boy or not, I think Ash will be able to do more about this crisis than anyone can."

"Why?"

"Look, mom, I have my reasons."

"Well, honey, I hope you know what you're dealing with, trying to take all of them down and all, along with a sixteen year old boy, no less."

"It'll be fine! Besides, I think you'll like him pretty quickly. Grandma's already met him, he's a really great Pokémon Trainer, and he's such a great person. Come on mom, have I ever _not_ known what I was dealing with?"

Cynthia's mother cracked a smile at the thought despite the foreboding air. It wasn't the first time she asked this question, and she knew it wouldn't be the last.

"Well, there was that one time…"

"Hey! That was when I was three! We don't need to go over all of this again, please? I just climbed a tree, slipped, and sorta fell on top of you. What's the big deal?" Both mother and daughter were laughing and massaged the backs of their neck where they landed as if it happened only yesterday.

Lucian off to the side smiled and cocked his right eyebrow up to his scalp thinking, _Wow._ _I always thought she was weird, but this is pushing it!_

"Well, I'll leave you to round up the boy and take care of your business, Cynthia Apologue."

"Thanks mom. I'll make sure to come back as soon as I can. Trust me. Things will turn out alright at the end of this. I promise!"

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Cynthia's mother and father glanced at each other and knew that what their daughter said was and will hold true. A promise was a promise, and there was no greater commitment than that.

"Alright, Cynth, you said so!" her mom said.

"Take care," her dad added.

"We love you!" the two said simultaneously.

"Bye mom! Bye dad! I will, and I love you!" At that, both parents and daughter hung up their receivers.

Lucian looked at the clock closest to him and saw that roughly fifteen minutes had passed during the phone call. Consequently, he withdrew the same Poké Ball out of his jacket coat, about to call out his Pokémon when he stopped and saw Cynthia rising from her videophone stool.

"Cynthia?"

"What, Lucian?" Cynthia said as she had just slung her handbag over her shoulder in a more comfortable position. "I thought you said we should go."

"I know, but I have just one question."

"Yeah, what's that?"

"Why _do _you want to take Ash along with us?" Lucian raised his eyebrow quizzically at the Champion. "I mean, Flint asked you and all you said was that he could hold his own in battle, and your parents even asked you and all you said was, 'I have my reasons'. There has to be something better up your sleeve that you're hiding."

Cynthia cracked a sly grin at her overly analytical comrade and said, "You'll know soon enough, as soon as we get over to Sunyshore City that is."

"Are you going to tell all of us then at the same time?" Lucian pushed the center button of the ball with his thumb as it made the satisfying click and continued talking to Cynthia.

"Yeah, of course. I have to," Cynthia replied as Lucian threw his Poké Ball into the air.

"Why?" Lucian pressed on as he watched the emitted white light shape into a humanoid figure.

"Well, because Ash is going to ask me the same question, and you know how I hate repeating myself twice."

"Alright, then. You ready to go, Alakazam?" Lucian paused as he watched his Alakazam appear right in front of him and conceded to the Sinnoh Champion.

Lucian's Alakazam replied with a sturdy, "Ala-kazam!" as he raised his psychic spoons up into the air.

"Alright, Cynthia. You know the drill, let your mind rely on mine," Lucian instructed as he closed his eyes in unshakeable concentration.

"Gotcha," Cynthia too closed her eyes and focused all of her mental attention to the man in the red blazer in front of her.

Lucian's Alakazam's eyes glowed a dark blue, signaling it's trainer to make the order.

"Alright then, Alakazam. Use teleport!"

**[17:49 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Pokémon Center), Sinnoh Region**

Back in the Pokémon Center in Sunyshore City, Ash Ketchum hung up the videophone and pondered why the Champion of all of Sinnoh was coming over to see a single Gym battle of a teenager. That was definitely unusual.

"Wow, I can't believe that Cynthia and Lucian are going to be watching my Gym battle tomorrow," Ash said astounded.

"You know I'll also be there," Flint nodded. "I want to see my old friend be brought back to his normal self. Yeah, that is a bit unusual, but you already know that Cynthia is a very outgoing person. Also, she does seem to take a liking to you. I guess it's because you hold a lot of promise."

"Yeah, well, Cynthia might like Ash, but Brock is still in denial about it," Dawn giggled.

"Oh man that was two jabs by Croagunk in a single day! I need a break from my love life," Brock got up from the floor and returned his Croagunk.

Ash, Dawn, and Flint laughed a little bit before Ash told the rest of the group, "Hey guys, since my Gym battle is tomorrow, I'm going outside to train a bit."

"Don't you remember that Cynthia will be coming in like twenty minutes or so?" Flint spoke up to remind Ash. "Cool down a bit. Chill, relax!"

Ash instead just ran out of the sliding doors of the Pokémon Center and yelled back, "Don't worry! It'll be short! Come on Pikachu!"

"Pika!" Pikachu jumped off the desk and ran after his trainer outside the Pokémon Center.

Flint was about to run after him before Brock spoke up, "Hey, Flint, why don't we just let Ash train a bit? He's probably not going to have any time to train once Cynthia and Lucian come anyways. Let's just freshen up and shower. I mean, I'm drenched in sweat after the battle the two of you had."

"Yeah, please, Flint? I feel so disgusting after days without a shower and then a melting battlefield!" Dawn pleaded.

"Yeah, why not? After all, Cynthia _is _coming," Flint laughed a bit and agreed. "_I've_ got the Sinnoh Champion to look handsome for!"

Brock spoke back, "That makes two of us."

Dawn just rolled her eyes as she ran to the showers.

Ash stopped outside of the Pokémon Center and looked up at the sky, hoping to get some inspiration. Training was never concrete, more like a do-what-you-can process, make-it-up-as-you-go-along.

_Hm, _Ash thought. _I think we might as well start training right here as soon as possible. I'll get the guys to have some fun today!_

"Come on out! Monferno, Grotle, Staraptor, and Gliscor!" Ash yelled, tossing all of his Poké Balls out at once.

"Mon, monferno!" Ash's own Fire and Fighting type Monferno came out flared up and jumping up and down. Monferno was not originally Ash's own Pokémon like Buizel. Monferno was originally Ash's rival Paul's Pokémon as a lowly Chimchar and was treated very roughly without any real compassion or love. Paul, ruthless to all of his Pokémon, claimed that they _wanted_ the treatment, and that if he cared for them at all, they would become spoiled. In the end, Chimchar was tossed aside as the weakest link in Paul's arsenal, endured the post-traumatic stress of a Zangoose attack, shouldered the emotional trauma of being treated like a tool, and suffered from lack of affection until Ash extended his hand to him and welcomed him to the fold. Oddly enough, his evolution was the result of a battle against his former master. He, like Buizel, eventually adjusted and has grown immensely powerful since.

"Gro —tle!" Grotle, a Grass type Pokémon, stood willing and sturdy for his trainer. Grotle was Ash's second Pokémon that he caught in the Sinnoh region. He originally stayed near an elderly woman as a Turtwig in the middle of the forest between Sangdem and Jubilife. An enormously sacrificial and altruistic soul, he stayed near the elderly woman because the forest was full of Pokémon bickering and picking fights amongst each other. Turtwig actually took it upon himself to keep the peace. One day, Ash came along and Turtwig, seeing how Ash protected all of his captured Pokémon as though they were his children, eagerly joined Ash's team, evolved, and partook in many of the most challenging battles Ash participated in.

"Star! Starrraptor!" The Flying and Normal type addition to Ash's team took to the skies from his Poké Ball. Staraptor evolved from the very first Pokémon that Ash had caught in the Sinnoh region. Originally, Starly was caught to do one job; find Pikachu after he was forcefully separated from Ash upon arriving at the Sinnoh region. Starly successfully completed his function back then and stuck with Ash to become the most powerful Pokémon he could be. Every once in a while, he was rejected from battles due to opponents posing severe type disadvantages like Roark, a rock type Gym Leader. Regardless, he has since re-asserted himself as a powerhouse in Ash's team, especially after evolving into his final stage after the Poké Ringer Competition. Now, Staraptor still finishes search and rescue missions like a pro and mastered many of the most advanced flying techniques a bird could possibly learn.

"Gli, gliscor, gli!" Lastly came Gliscor, the Flying and Ground variant on the team who happily bounced on her stinger tail eagerly waiting for her trainer's requests. Still the team clown, Gliscor had evolved from a Gligar once it had gained enough confidence in herself. Originally, Gligar was afraid of many things including heights, incoming attacks, stares of opponents, and even taunts from her own teammates. It had been an uphill battle for Ash to try and improve Gligar's self-esteem, but eventually the both of them pulled through, Gligar evolved into a two meter wingspan behemoth, and Gliscor had since risen to the uber-tier of Ash's roster, knowing moves like X-Scissor, Fire Fang, and Steel Wing.

"Pika, pikachu!" And of course, Pikachu was Ash's best friend in the entire world. No one, not even a human ever had a place in his heart like Pikachu had. They stuck together through thick and thin, better and worse, and even death. They were inseparable, and every day furthered their friendly bonds and love for each other like best friends and real blood brothers. Pikachu jumped back up on Ash's shoulder, and seeing all of his friends and brothers in arms before him, he sounded off.

"Alright guys, this is the final test, the finale to our Sinnoh Gym challenge. Let's win our last badge! Who's with me?" Ash was ready for some intense training to be done if he was going to win the final badge for his entry into the Sinnoh League.

In Pokémon tongue, everyone responded their excitement and affirmations with stomps of the feet, flaps of the wing, and punches in the air.

"Alright! And guess what, you guys? The _champion _of the Sinnoh region is coming to see this battle, so let's win this one!"

As soon as Ash had finished his pep talk, Gliscor, as always, became over excited and leapt up into the air, specifically to come pancake-ing down on Ash. "Gli! Gligo!"

"Wait Gliscor, wait, wait, no, no, no, NO! ACK! KAH!" Ash managed to cough out just as Gliscor flattened Ash.

Gliscor laughed merrily with her favorite game of Ash flattening, "Gli! Gli, gliscor!"

_What am I going to do with you… _Ash thought to himself.

* * *

_Dear Readers,_

I've decided upon using the metric system you motherfuckers. I may be American, but the customary system is terrible. NASA crashed a Mars probe because of that in 2000. Seriously. I can't calculate physics in customary or tell the temperature either. Metric system is just better, bam.

Lucian's name makes total sense considering that he loves books and apparently a guy named Gutenberg made the first printing press. I will also explain later how books written in regular world languages can be found in the Pokémon world.

You know it's funny. In my original Dear Readers back in 2008 I gave a shout out of thanks to guys like LuciferIX, katfairy, and EarthBorn0. It's strange to think that those people aren't even active anymore. Time flies man. DEFINITELY check out all of their work. It was EarthBorn0 who gave me the inspiration to write a fanfiction about Advanceshipping that doesn't suck. LOL.

As always, any rating or reviewing is always absolutely appreciated! Thanks to ALL!

* * *

_Story Notes:_

14 years ago – Lucian Gutenberg is born

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

Uploaded, 12/20/08

| two revisions/general plot decided, no egg device/large group dialogue challenge |

- beginning of no update period

RE: edit. 09/02/11

original title, "The Telephone Game"

RE: edit 10/29/12


	11. Rising Rivals

**Chapter Five: Rising Rivals**

It was an evening with only a few clouds in the sky, and the sun had just set itself under the Earth's horizon. Underneath the blackened blue overhead lay a stadium erupting in cheers in response to the battle taking place within. On the sandy ground, a field was outlined by the borders, boundaries, and the all-too recognizable Poké Ball shape in the middle, where all of the night's action centered. On both ends stood Pokémon trainers, each commanding a Pokémon of choice, but on one side, the advantage was clearly his beyond the shadow of a doubt.

**[~~:~~ P.M.] Evergrande City (Pokémon League), Hoenn Region**

From the vantage point of the Pokémon League torch, now ablaze with simmering glory, the right-most side of the enormous stadium hosted a young teen of sixteen who stood tall, invigorated, wearing his red cap and jeans complete. On his side stood his faithful and loyal partner and friend, Pikachu, while out on the field lumbered his blubbery, yet swift Pokémon, Snorlax. Ash Ketchum ordered the final attack.

"Snorlax, jump and use Hyper Beam and finish this up! Full power!" he shouted out in the distance amidst the ear-splitting crowd.

Immediately, as if it were a doomsday sentence, an enormous mass of body weight appeared in the sky to unleash his savage, charged beam of pure energy upon his target.

A young boy of just nine years old on the opposite side wore black rimmed glasses, a green polo shirt, and dark green shorts. As each fraction of a second speed by, his entire body cringed ever more rigidly as he looked up at his opponent in the sky. His hands were both balled into sweaty fists as he turned his gaze out onto the rock and sand stadium. A Swellow was lying in the dust trying to shake off the pain from the last assault, but the boy knew it was over no matter what he ordered next. Max Maple's Pokémon was about to be pulverized.

"No! Swellow, use Agility to dodge it!" he yelled out in a desperate attempt to evade the colossal assault.

The Swallow Pokémon looked up to see where his opponent had gone, but no sooner had it looked up the Snorlax unleashed his attack.

"Swe? Swellow!" it yelled out in surprise.

The brunt of the energy burst nailed its target and sent it and the field around it in a furious cloud of rock, sand, and dust. Max shielded his eyes against the savage gale of debris and waited for the aftermath for it to reveal itself. Max tore his eyes away from his arms and saw what he dreaded, but knew he would see. The battle-worn bird fell from the air to the ground knocked out.

Another, familiar voice called out in the distance, "Swellow is unable to continue battling; Snorlax is the winner!"

The surrounding crowd let loose an ear-splitting cheer, but the boy was oblivious to both entities. He could care about the referee's verdict, or the crowd's over-enthusiastic affirmation. All he knew was that before the ref even uttered his decision he had known what would have been declared, and it was his entire fault that it did. Max felt that every attack he ordered only summed up to a crushing defeat.

The young boy looked up from the field and stole a glance at the scoreboard up in the middle of the stands. He looked to the right half of the scoreboard to look at the Pokémon that were in his opponent's slots. Only four slots were filled and all were in full light and color. The boy's opponent hadn't lost a single Pokémon, nor had he sent out his full roster. The boy looked above for the human slot and saw the same vibrant, confident, and red-caped face he did across him on the field. Looking to the left, he saw his own determined face beginning to fade into gray on the screen, and underneath it, all six slots filled with his Pokémon, and all of them were also faded gray. All six of Max's Pokémon were wiped out.

On screen, the animation switched from the bi-sectional win and loss table straight to a dominant portrait of Ash in its center blaring 'Ash Ketchum! Winner! Congratulations!' It was final. Official. Finito. Game over. Max lost the tournament.

"The victory goes to Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!" Continuing his duty, the referee raised his right flag high into the air and vainly announced to the all-too-knowing stadium. As soon as he raised his red flag in his right hand, he continued on, "Ash Ketchum is the winner of the Hoenn Pokémon League!"

Max's mind had gone from gruesome slow motion into reverse. _All six of my Pokémon. It's over. I lost… It's over... I lost!_

Max summoned what little strength he had left to tear his eyes off of the recorded truth on the scoreboard and back to his fallen warrior, center field. Water began to build up in his eyes and filled his eyelids to the brim as he ran out into the dusty field even though it hadn't settled yet. He collapsed on his knees before his fallen being of the sky and picked up the exhausted bird. His words became distorted with his sadness and self pity.

"I'm sorry Swellow, you did your very best and I didn't. I'm so sorry..."

"Swel, swellow," the bird cawed out.

The boy solemnly nodded at his Pokémon's response and said back, "Here, have a long rest."

Max drew a compressed Poké Ball from his belt, enlarged it, and loosed a stream of red light and withdrew his tired Pokémon.

Immediately large tears overflowed from his face and cheeks onto the sandy battleground and moistened the hard surface. He usually wouldn't let them fall in the presence of his friends, but now that no one was there, there was nothing to stop him.

_I'm so sorry everyone!_ Max inwardly scolded himself. _I couldn't do_ _it_! _I'm just not strong enough, and you were! All of you!_

After several moments of melancholy silence, Max noticed a pair of sneakers planted within arm's reach from his point. They were red and black sneakers, and definitely belonged to Ash. He looked up and saw the familiar smiling face and a yellow electric rodent perched on his shoulder.

"Max, that was a great battle!" Ash said as he offered a handshake. On the ground, Max knelt with his knees and feet in the soil, and turned his head sharply away as more tears continued to empty themselves out of Max's eyes.

"Ash, what are you talking about? That was a terrible battle!" the young trainer spat. "After all I promised you that I would beat you one day, and now that day is today, and I barely laid a scratch on you at all! You didn't even have to send out Pikachu!"

"Hey, Max. Don't be so hard on yourself," Ash recoiled slightly and Pikachu seemed taken by the back-handed compliment, but Ash's hand was still outstretched for Max to accept. "Winning is not what a trainer needs to think about first on the battlefield."

Pikachu on Ash's shoulder tried to console Max the same, "Pika, pikachu!"

"I know that, but I thought I'd win because I knew all of your battle strategies!" Max still kept his head down to prevent Ash from seeing his reddened eyes. "I mean, I travelled with you for two years year through two regions! I thought I might actually be a challenge for you!"

Ash then dropped his knees to the ground and knelt in front of Max which prompted him to look up.

"You know, as soon as I heard you say that back after the Terracotta Contest, I've been changing my strategies up a bit," Ash said with a hint of playfulness, putting his extended arm onto Max's shoulder.

"Wha—what?" Max's face turned from defeat to instant shock. "You mean you've been planning this the whole time?"

"In a way, yeah. Ever since you've said that to me I've been thinking a lot," Ash's smile grew ever larger as he replied. "I knew that you'd figure out a way to counter every strategy I had by the time you challenged me, so I went ahead and added the strategies I learned in Sinnoh to my playbook."

Max wiped the tears from his eyes now that he knew why Ash was barely affected by his own counter-strategies. But it still didn't add up.

"Wait, then why did I lose? I've fought a bunch of trainers and they've all used different styles and I could counter those perfectly fine! Why are you so different?"

Ash withdrew his hand that was on Max's shoulder and stood up profoundly and said, "Come. I'll show you!"

"Wait, really? Right now?" Now the sad face that was on Max was instantly re-written with sheer excitement and he leapt up off of the ground.

"Sure! But first, great battle right?" Ash replied. He re-extended his arm and held out his hand.

"Deal!" Max smiled with determination and firmly gripped Ash's hand. The whole stadium noise seemed to melt away, leaving the two of them alone. "So what do I have to do first?"

"That's easy!" Ash replied. "Wake up"

That was a surprise.

"Huh? Wait, wake up? I am awake!" Max stated.

"Max, wake up," Ash said with a louder voice.

_Is Ash playing games with me or what? _He thought.

Max raised his voice as well, "I am awake!"

"Max, wake up!" Ash shouted. His figure seemed to lose focus and become foggy.

"I am awake!" Max shouted back.

"Max get out of bed or I'm going personally get you out! And could you please let go of my hand?" a different, more masculine voice sounded.

"Wait, wait, bed? Hand?" Max dumbly murmured. In an even more lethargic voice, he asked aloud, "Dad?"

Max realized that the entire stadium had gone, Ash had been replaced by his dad, and that the Normal Type Gym Leader was kneeling on the floor in front of his son's bed, fully dressed for the day to begin. His face seemed undecided whether to laugh from comedy or awkwardness.

"Geez, Max! You've overslept much longer than usual! It's nearly nine thirty! Come on, get up!" Norman ranted. "And could you let go of my hand for the second time, please?"

"Oh, sorry, Dad…" Max finally let go of his dad's hand and they both rubbed theirs of their discomfort. "I guess it was just a dream."

**[09:23 A.M.] Petalburg City (Gym Living Quarters), Hoenn Region**

Max looked out with his real eyes and saw his room just as it was before he fell asleep the night before. He saw his twin bed with different Pokémon embossed on his sheets, a small desk off to his right with a lamplight and drawing materials, a bookshelf on his left crammed full with Pokémon novels, manga, encyclopedias, and now his dad above him beckoning him to get out of bed.

"Well, come on, Mom's already made us breakfast and everything. We don't want to be late for the first challenger!"

"Yes! I knew today was the day that I could referee your match!" Max practically exploded out of his sheets and leapt up out of his bed. "That's why I had that dream! Thanks dad!"

"Of course kiddo!" Norman stood up and faced his only son with a Gym Leader's grin. "You've been practically counting down the hours since I told you!"

Max eyed his father and could barely contain his excitement as he jittered, "Yeah, I'm so glad the wait is over! Pokémon Master, here I come!"

"You'll get there someday," Norman just shook his head as he started toward Max's bedroom door. "But first, I need some of your mom's cooking, otherwise I'll be at a severe strategic disadvantage when that challenger gets here. Come down as soon as you get dressed."

"Ya don't have to tell me twice!" Again, nearly flying across the room with energy, he threw off his dark green night clothes against the wall to the wash basket.

Norman continued towards the door, but he eyed something nailed to the door. It was a calendar with X's marking off the days until a particular day, the 30th of the same month the page was turned to. _Max's birthdate is on the 30__th__, but it doesn't say birthday there or anything. _Norman thought.

"Max, your birthday is on the 30th of this month right?" Norman asked.

Max surprisingly had already put on a clean set of boxers, socks and shorts when he noticed his dad's question,

"Yeah, of course! Why ya ask?" Max called out as he raced over to his dresser and fumbled around for a spare green polo.

"Well," Norman began amidst the raucous of shifting clothes, "You didn't write 'birthday' or ten years old or anything. It just says 'Pokémon Journey' in big letters."

"Oh. Well, I don't really care about being ten or not," Max slowed down with his shirt half put on. "As far as I'm concerned, I was already ten the moment I started traveling with Ash!"

"So, I guess you don't really care about the 30th being your birthday so much this year, huh?" Norman turned around and saw Max squirming inside his own shirt and grinned. He walked over to help out his strangled son.

"Dad! I'm fine!" Max further squirmed in his clothes. "You don't need to put my clothes on for me ya know! HEY!"

Norman had already taken Max's backwards shirt and flipped it before he could even protest.

"Dad! I'm not five anymore, geez!" Max protested.

"No matter how much you try to grow up Max, you're still my son right?" Norman laughed; it wasn't the first time this happened.

"I guess so…" Max just hung his head in defeat and looked off to where his calendar was saying.

Norman patted his son on the shoulder and said, "Well, come on son! You're going to want to mark down yesterday on that calendar, right?"

"Oh yeah!" Again, flying across the room, he snatched a marker off of his desk and sloppily X'ed off the second day on his calendar.

"Only twenty-eight more days to go!" Max looked up to his dad a last time, "Hey, Dad?"

Norman looked back at his son expecting some more father-son talking experience, "Yeah, what Max?"

It didn't come.

"RACE YOU TO THE TABLE!" At that Max darted off downstairs in the direction of delectable scent.

Norman stood blinking, then laughing, again fooled by his kid's tricks.

"Max! I'll get you for that!" And he too darted behind the exuberant boy in the green polo, slamming the door behind him, and making the calendar on the other side knock back, a reminder of the twenty-eight days left to spend together.

* * *

_Dear Readers,_

I hope this chapter portrayed Max and his dad just like the Anime did. That was a real challenge for me. Also, I hope everyone got the whole dream thing going on, so, yeah. That's what this is all about! When I first wrote this chapter, I originally titled it 'Dream On' by Aerosmith, as it seemed fitting at the time. Now that I'm sticking to Obscurely Pokémon thematic chapter naming, the Heart Gold and Soul Silver TCG series Rising Rivals also fit the bill quite nicely.

As always, any rating or reviewing is always absolutely appreciated! Thanks to ALL!

* * *

_Story Notes:_

7 years after – Max Maple is born

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

Uploaded, 03/24/09

| one revision/may to appear in later chapter/dream challenge/characterize love of family |

-further no update period

RE: edit. 09/02/11

original title, "Dream On"

RE: edit. 11/01/12


	12. Team Rocket

**Chapter Six: Overcoming Obstacles**

As fate would turn out, no matter where you go, you will always find life. This can be either good or bad depending on the circumstances. Life brings innovation and luxury, education and science, movement and vibrancy. Sometimes life brings love and peace while at other times it brings tribulation and strife. Even at more other times, life just seems to throw random things out in the open just there for the hell of it. However, this particular trio of life defies all of the above adjectives. Today we find life being blasted into the Sinnoh sky for being notoriously awful at what they do; being Team Rocket.

For what it was worth, it was a sight to see. The trio of two humans, Jessie and James, and one Pokémon, Meowth, were tumbling in the afternoon sky down to the earth at startling speeds. The surrounding landscape swept horizontally beneath them as if they were flying over a map, the sea enlarged itself as if under a zooming microscope, and underneath them the city began to show off its skyscrapers and innovative solar panel walkways in rapid succession. But with all due respect to the glorious Team Rocket, things always ended this way for them; blasting off into the sky farther than plain eyesight could ever see. Today was no different.

**[17:20 P.M.] Sunyshore City (City Outskirts | Altitude: One Thousand Meters), Sinnoh Region**

"AAAAAHHHHH!" the trio of thieves yelled at the top of their lungs.

At roughly two hundred meters of free fall left to go, Meowth yelled out in his trademark scratchy voice yelled, "Heads up you guys, prepare for a crash landin'!"

"Yeah, just like EVERY landing we've ever had!" Jessie yelled back, already bored with this routine.

James on the other hand couldn't help but recall, "I don't know about that! You know, there was that one time long ago when we just ran away like a bunch of—"

—SMASH! An impact into the trees of a courtyard cut his memory short.

Of all hazardous places to drop into, this one was relatively nice. Roughly thirty meters parallel to the shore existed a simple concrete walkway that ran from the Pokémon Center all the way to the Sunyshore Lighthouse about three hundred meters away. Along the side of the sidewalk nearest the shoreline existed peachy perfect sand and the waves nuzzling inside it, while on the other side existed a grassy walkway littered with thick trees, and Team Rocket swinging on one of those branches. Jessie on the other hand was not in the mood for evaluating the odds and counting blessings. It wouldn't matter if they landed in sand, snow, lava, or trees, it was always the same crashing story's end.

"WHY? Why is it always us? Why do we have to keep doing what we do best?"

"Ugh… now wat might dat be, Jess?" Meowth, no more enthusiastic than she.

"Failing at life..." James saved Jessie the trouble of explaining.

An audible sigh resounded from all of their mouths simultaneously as they each swung on the same branch on the same tree, the same way; Jessie and James hung by their pants, and Meowth in a similar fashion with his fur.

Jessie Katana was the female member of the diabolically evil syndicate of three. She was the most outspoken of the group, possessed a temper that cut like a knife, and ensured that her physical appearance was unrivaled wherever she went. At twenty-one years old, she had deep blue eyes, preferred rose red lip stick, and her hair was long, violet, and coiled like a snake at its end. She wore a risqué variant of the Team Rocket Agent-W uniform that exposed her midriff, long rubber gloves, thigh-high boots, and topped it off with green orb earrings. While Team Rocket had been large part of her family history, her childhood was marked by her mother Miyamoto's death at five years old, her accursed orphanage soon after, and a brief tenure at Kanto Pokémon Technical School as per her mother's will before dropping out. It was not until her enlistment into Team Rocket did she meet her partners James and Meowth.

James Koch was the male member of the notoriously bad posse of three. He had the gentlest nature within the trio, was accused of being feminine too many times to tally, but retained a liberal wealth of knowledge and an incredibly diverse skillset. Also twenty-one years old, his had aqua green eyes and kept to his mullet length blue hair. He wore the standardized Team Rocket Agent-W uniform with short sleeved rubber gloves and lightweight boots. Born from money in every sense of the word, he ran away from home to evade his family obligation to marry Jessiebelle. His tenure at Kanto Pokémon Technical School was also brief, having flunked out within a few weeks. While it was a coincidence that he and Jesse were to have graduated in the same class, it also wasn't until enlistment and agent training in Viridian City did they meaningfully meet. His resumé was highly diverse, covering topics in literature, sports, improve theater, and encyclopedic knowledge.

Meowth was the Scratch Cat Pokémon member of the thrice maliciously militant mess. The strategist, schemer, and dreamer of the threesome, Meowth had developed the uncanny talent of speaking English but also fell prone to feelings of love, maternity, and philosophy. Apart from his ability to communicate with humans and habitually walking upright, his most cherished possession was the shiny charm on his forehead. Continuously plagued by misfortune, Meowth had to endure abandonment, abuse, and absolute neglect for his entire life up until joining Team Rocket.

Together this group of mishap individuals formed the Sphinx Cell of the international crime syndicate Team Rocket. Trained at the Agent level, they have participated, endeavored, and executed heists across the Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh nations, evading the authorities every step of the way and furthered the cause of Team Rocket everywhere they went.

They had dreams and aspirations. They had goals and vision. They were the best of the best. They were slated for promotion to Elite Officers. They were supposed to have it all. But as of now, it seems that this particular team had it up to their necks in failure.

"We can't keep going like this, you guys," complained James. "This streak of misery is getting to me…"

"Oh I'm sure it is, especially for you, Mr. Rich kid!" Jessie spat. "Not all of us know what it's like to have everything served to you just right!"

"Hey, hey! That all in the past!" James defended himself. "Besides, I gave that up a long time ago to join Team Rocket, remember Jess?"

Meowth couldn't help but share his sympathy. "Yeah, just like I gave up chasing dat no-good-furball-of-a-feline Meowsy to live a life of crime…"

"And I gave up my dreams of become rich and famous and living like a queen just to be on the run from the law for the rest of my days!" Jessie admitted.

A collective sigh issued from all three of them.

"It's dat brat boy's fault!" Meowth realized to himself. His face contorted into sheer frustration. "He and dat Pikachu just keep blasting apart our mechs left and right—even if dey are electro-proof!"

"If he wasn't our target all the time, we would've gotten loads of Pokémon by now. We've got to beat that kid no matter what it takes!" Jessie smashed her right fist into her left hand and all the same changed her facial expression to anger and frustration.

James pumped his fist up in team spirit. "Yeah, we're gonna—!"

Crack.

"Huh? Did you guys hear something?" James asked.

_Crack_.

Meowth did. "Uh oh… I tink dat branch is going to give way!"

"No, no, no, nonononono—NO!" Jessie squealed in helplessness as the branch continued to noisily break off.

As if their luck couldn't get any worse, a certain bluish blob of a Pokémon exploded out of his ball on top of the same branch and happily cheered, "WAHHH—BUFFET!"

CRACK!

Another ten meters the trio plummeted down to the solid ground. Jessie, James, and Meowth again simultaneously groaned while Wobbuffet still teetered on top of the three bodies as happily as a Ledyba.

**[17:51 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Pokémon Center), Sinnoh Region**

"Gliscor, oomph! Would you please contain yourself?" Ash laughed, struggling to get out of his Pokémon's wingspan.

Gliscor, the Fang Scorp Pokémon that had flattened herelf onto Ash still giggled herself silly, rejoicing in the never ending game she played.

"Gli! Gli!" she gushed out as she winked and leapt up off of her trainer's chest.

"Alright then, guys," Ash said as he stood up and brushed off the dust on his vest as he said, "We'll be doing a bit of training today, so I want everyone at their best, alright?"

Everyone responded affirmatively in every way they could convey.

"Perfect! Since Cynthia is coming soon, we won't have as much time to train as usual. I think it's time for a little fun! Who's up for a game of beach ball?"

**[18:11 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Pokémon Center), Sinnoh Region**

As a man of simplicity, Brock always knew that the best way to do things was usually the easiest. His cooking was elegant, not extravagant, and his attire was functional, not fancy. Today's simple ten minute shower was a testament to his personal mantra. Oddly enough though, Brock wasn't the first one out of the complimentary Pokémon Center showers.

The Sunyshore Pokémon Center, by no means a worn down facility, had a lobby with a front desk in the center of view and several squashy armchairs for any tired trainer not intending to stick around for very long. To the right of the desk was a residential hallway with the human lounge, rooms and beds, and public facilities. To the left of the desk lay the Pokémon treatment hallway including the checkup room, resting room, emergency room, and critical room.

Brock walked out of the shower facilities fully dressed, carrying his towel and borrowed cleaning lotions. He deposited the spent items and used towel into the waste bin and laundry bin respectively, and proceeded to the lounging area. There he found Flint sitting on the couch, completely dressed, poofing his afro with specialized combs.

"I've got a question for you, Brock-o," Flint asked as Brock was halfway down the hallway. "Why is it so that people like you and I can take showers as short as ten minutes, yet the ladies consistently must take showers anywhere between thirty and sixty minutes?"

"Heh, I really don't have an answer for you Flint! If I did, I might just be that much closer to understanding girls!" Brock chuckled a little at the age old question and settled himself across Flint on the couch. Brock talked and raised his hand and formed a pincer grasp about a centimeter apart. "That much closer!"

"I hear you man, I hear you. Ever since I've become an elite four member, there's just no time for socializing. You've gotta train a lot just to hold the title," Flint sighed.

"I understand, I was a Gym leader at one point, so I know what it's like to get cut off from the outside world. Back then the only thing I could think about was my family and my job. But since the day that Ash challenged me, I've been able to expand my boundaries and explore what the world has to offer! And I get around to a bit more womanizing, if you know what I mean," Brock noted.

"I get the impression you get cut short every time you try, right?" Flint raised his eyebrow mockingly.

"Yeah, Croagunk stabs me every time I get close to a girl!" Brock laughed. "It's ridiculous!"

"How about Ash and Dawn? Do they have any interests besides being trainers?" Flint inquired.

"No way, are you kidding? Ash is a one track minded person. He's probably still training as hard as he can right now. For as long as I've known him he's never given any kind of thought to relationships besides him and his Pokémon! Dawn I'm not so sure about, though. Don't get me wrong, the bond between her and her Pokémon is steadily growing, but I wouldn't doubt it if Dawn sometimes thinks about that sort of thing. Both of them have really strong dreams though."

"That makes a lot of sense," Flint nodded and looked off towards the female quarter of the shower facilities to check for Dawn. He sighed to himself. "I just feel trapped."

"What do you mean, Flint? Surely a person like you has a love life, right? I mean, come on!" Brock asked with disbelief. "I feel like girls would love to get to know someone like you!"

"You'd think that, but it's actually really the opposite. I'm one of the Elite Four, so I'm trapped to my job, and I have to constantly train and train for upcoming challengers. I don't have time to ask people out to candle-lit dinners, movies, or any of that kind of stuff," Flint responded in melancholy. "In fact, the last time I personally saw anyone else was when Cynthia told me to come look for you guys a while ago."

"And what about Lucian or Aaron?" Brock questioned.

"Well first of all, all of the Elite Four members are rivals by default. Aaron is the new kid so he's away training championship rematches to knock one of us down to the bottom rung. Lucian is either in some foreign land buying new books, reading in some obscure library in the middle of nowhere, or remotely training. It's rare that we ever catch up!" Flint explained. "But Cynthia on the other hand, she's a whole new person, and a lot of fun to be around."

"I guess you two are pretty close friends right?" Brock pressed on.

"Yeah. I guess we are, but the thing is, I'd like more than anything to get closer to—"

"—Hey guys! Whatcha talking about?" Dawn exploded into the conversation as if out of nowhere.

"Gah! Dawn, geez!" Brock recoiled in shock. "Next time announce when you're finally out of the shower!"

"Yeah! Yo, we were getting into a deeper than ocean blue conversation here!" Flint added. "Talking about our feelings and such!"

"I'm sorry, but I was hoping for a good second opinion! Does my hair look fine? I really can't be sure if I'm the only one looking at it," Dawn gushed out.

"Dawn—?" Brock began.

"I didn't call Piplup out so I don't think my hair sheens quite like when he does it, but does it look OK?" Dawn began fiddling with her hair and move nervously side to side.

_Why does this always happen… _Brock thought in mental exasperation.

"Dawn—?" Flint asked.

"I don't want to have to go back and do it all over again! Do I have to fix it? Can I even walk outside with this? I can't look like a mess in front of Cynthia and Lucian! And what if I—"

"DAWN!" Brock and Flint forcefully spoke out.

"Yeah?" Dawn came to a screeching halt and nervously looked over at the two men sitting on the couches.

"It looks fine!" Brock chuckled "You've got nothing to worry about."

"Ah, what a relief," Dawn heaved a sigh and her hand clutched over her chest. Dawn did a beauty twist on the spot and let her hair fly. "Hey, I didn't hear your opinion Flint? How does it look?"

Flint got caught by surprise, thankful for a good change of topic, "Oh, yeah, it's fine."

"Hey Flint, shouldn't we go and wait for Lucian and Cynthia to arrive?" Brock inquired.

"Yeah, if I know Lucian and Cynthia, they'll be here anytime soon. Let's get outside to Ash before they do!"

Brock and Flint stood up out of their extremely comfortable seats and started walking towards the Pokémon Center exit. Dawn fell into step beside Flint as the automatic doors slid open and closed behind them.

"Hey Flint?" Dawn asked as they were walking.

"What's up?" Flint asked back.

"What _were_ you two talking about before I got out of the shower?" Dawn cocked her right eyebrow, smirking slightly. "I heard you say it was getting so 'deep'!"

_Crap, now is NOT the time for this_! Flint thought.

"Oh, uh, you know, just this and that, and totally nothing big! It was uhh—"

"We were just talking about the fact that you girls always take the longest showers and worry about useless things," Brock interjected, saving Flint who breathed a quick sigh of relief.

"Useless things?" Dawn asked, completely befuddled. "Like what?"

Both Brock and Flint started cracking up and said in unison, "Your hair of course!"

Dawn felt a third degree burn after that.

**[09:39 A.M.] Petalburg City (Gym Living Quarters), Hoenn Region**

The air inside of the kitchen was almost toxic—toxic in the best of possible ways. Aromas of superb scrambled eggs laced with spices floated throughout the air, poisoning those who couldn't have a taste of it. Sausages sizzled on the frying pan, bubbling and writhing in oil, ready to be fallen in love with at first smell. And yes, freshly flopped pancakes wafted in and around the two noses of Max and his father Norman. Caroline, Max's mother and Norman's wife, was busy like a factory worker, producing copious amounts of food for both seated at the table.

"Geez! I've said this before, time and time again," she loudly announced while flipping the pancake pan. "CHEW WITH YOUR MOUTH CLOSED!"

Who could blame her? The only sound other than the sounds of scrambled eggs cooking, sausages sizzling, and pancakes pancaking was 'OMNOMNOMNOM'! 'OMNOMNOMNOM'!

"Foo forry, honee! I jhuph haph too feeneesh fiss beefoor Maaph!" Norman tried to apologize but the only thing that came out of his mouth was garbled gibberish.

"Yaaa, forry mom!" Max also tried to apologize, but similarly, his apology was just as indistinguishable.

Back in the kitchen, Caroline just shook her head and smiled. It may have been pointless to argue, but it was still humorous. Just as she was about to reprimand the two males for talking with their mouths open, a familiar loud tone rang throughout the kitchen.

_RINGRINGRING! PHONECALLPHONECALL!_

"Hey, Norman! Honey! I'm going to pick up the phone, so if you want any more eggs you'll have to scramble them yourself!" Caroline called out to her husband.

Still ever stuffed, he replied, "Fure! Whaever honee!"

At that, Caroline hastily turned down the heat on the scrambled eggs, pancake, and sausage pan to prevent them from burning, and rushed over to the videophone in the family living room.

_This is unexpected. I wonder who it could be!_ She thought as she rushed to catch the phone. _I sure hope it's not that stupid gym inspection authority or whatever! They've been here already four times only to go back with a squeaky clean report! I swear if it's them, I'll personally—Oh! Well, that's odd._

Instead of the caller ID stating the Pokémon League Gym Authority Bureau, Hoenn branch number, it displayed another number, and underneath in smaller print read Cianwood Island Pokémon Center.

_What in the world would the Cianwood Pokémon Center call me for? Hey, maybe it's her! Maybe she's finished with one of her little contests!_

"Hello?" Caroline picked up the green receiver and spoke. "Oh my gosh! It's so great to see you, dear! I was wondering where you were and…"

Caroline gasped and brought her hand close to her mouth as she saw what was on her screen.

"Oh my goodness! May!"

Caroline's thirteen year old daughter, with her respective receiver in her right hand up to her ear, was nothing more than a pitiful sight. Her eyes had become swollen and blood shot, and traces of glazed tears showed on her cheeks.

"Hey, mom…" May uttered in a broken voice.

* * *

_Dear Readers,_

As it turns out, Jesse, James, and Meowth actually have very rich histories respectively. On the subject of money, James had it, Meowth didn't, and Jesse had it then lost it. On the subject of friends, none of them grew up with anybody deserving the title. Jesse never truly knew love, James ran away from it, and Meowth is broken by it. Were it not for the fifth generation anime, I probably would've NEVER seen past the comedy and have a close look into their psyche. Now I've been given the opportunity.

Apparently Jesse has a mother named Miyamoto according to the canonical Radio Drama in Japan. I've tried to get a hold of those recordings or a transcript but it's impossible. Jesse is named Musashi in the Japanese Anime and it turns out Miyamoto Musashi is the name of a famous Japanese swordsman from the 17th century who became famous by dueling many warriors and participating in a war between the Toyotomi and Tokugawa clans on the Toyotomi side. Thus, her last name should be Katana, which is a kind of sword in Japanese.

As for James, Koch is the last name of the fourth and fifth wealthiest individuals in the world and heads of Koch Industries, producers of asphalt, chemicals, commodities trading, energy, fibers, fertilizers, finance, minerals, natural gas, plastics, petroleum, pulp and paper, ranching. Thank the lord for Forbes magazine, Google, and Wikipedia. On the other hand, James never cared much for his family's desires so I could see James developing a name for himself or abandoning it entirely.

It turns out there is a canonical contradiction. In the original season, Jesse and James said that they met up at Pokémon Technical as students before joining Team Rocket. According to the more recent Pokémon Chronicles series, Jesse didn't meet James until agent training. I reconciled this by saying that they both were at Tech, but never really met. I decided though that true to the humorous spirit of everyone's favorite villains, their initials are both JK, an acronym for 'just kidding'!

Meowth is Meowth. Poor Meowth.

Yeah, I realized that Piplup is definitely a he. When I first wrote this chapter, I was only watching subtitled Japanese episodes of the Sinnoh saga and completely ignored the English dubs. At the time I especially hated the voice actors (less now) so I did everything I could to avoid them. The problem is that Japanese voice actors can sound wildly neutral-gendered, like girls playing boys or boys playing girls with high fidelity. I thought Piplup, or Pochama as he was called in the Japanese show was a girl. One quick look on Bulbapedia and a YouTube clip and I was wrong. Whoops!

* * *

_Story Notes:_

5 years ago – Jessie Katana is born

5 years ago – James Koch is born

0 years after – Miyamoto is killed, Jesse is orphaned

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

Uploaded, 06/24/09

| massive update period difference/unsure plot at time of writ/difficulty writing/introduce may |

original title, "Realization"

-terrible update time disparity

RE: edit. 09/02/11

RE: edit. 03/16/12

| decided on Team Rocket timeline/introduced last names |

second original title, "Overcoming Obstacles"

RE: edit. 11/02/12


	13. Neo Genesis

**Chapter Seven: Neo Genesis**

"May! Honey!" Caroline asked urgently. The poor mother was struck with a tidal wave's worth of worry, concern, and panic. "What on earth happened to you?"

"Mom, it's a long story…" May replied. The budding Pokémon Coordinator on the other side of the telephone let fresh tears escape her eyes and responded very in a very melancholy voice.

"I'm so sorry…"

**[20:42 P.M.] Cianwood City (Pokémon Center), Johto Region**

May Maple's call came from Cianwood City, the only city on the entire island, located in the Johto region. She was sitting over one thousand kilometers away from the Hoenn region, Petalburg City, and her home at the Petalburg Gym.

She had brown hair that flowed down to her shoulders with a green bandana hosting the impression of a white Poké Ball atop. She had a fitting, orange with a black collar, and green and orange form-hugging shorts that ended halfway to her knees. Around her waist she wore a khaki colored fanny pack and green, orange, black, and white sneakers on her feet.

"May!" Caroline couldn't accept the sight of her only daughter wound up in tears and showing clear signs of depression. "Please tell me what happened!"

"Mom, I'm so sorry," May choked out. "I'm so sorry that I hadn't called you earlier."

"It's been a whole month! What in the world happened to you that you wouldn't keep in touch with us?"

"Mom, I don't want to talk about it," May brought her gloved hand up to her face and rubbed her eyes and forehead in a vain attempt to wipe the swelling away. "Right now I'm really confused and I've got nowhere to go. I just don't know where else to turn…"

"What do you mean, confused and nowhere to go?" Caroline was becoming increasingly concerned as thousands of scenarios played through her mind. "Won't you please just tell me what happened?"

May tried to hold back her fresh tears as she stuttered out, "Mom, I… I…"

"What?"

"Mom, I'm not…" May began to sob quietly. "I'm not going to the Grand Festival."

Caroline was swept with a renewed sense of pity and additional shock.

_My daughter isn't going to the Grand Festival?_ She repeated in her head. _But this is her dream! She… she really isn't going?_

"Honey, I…" Caroline barely spoke, the news heavy on her heart. "What's the matter? Why aren't you going?"

"Mom…" she sobbed. May brought her head up and tried to look at her mother straight in the eye, but she couldn't and let more tears fall down. "I… I don't have… I don't h-have…"

"It's okay dear," Caroline said. Caroline made the connection soon enough. May had only four of the five required contest ribbons. "I'm not mad at you or anything like that. I just want you to be alright, well, and happy! Why don't you tell me how this all happened?"

"Mom, I don't want to talk about it right now, please?" May continued to let the tears fall from her cheeks. "I just wanted to let you know…"

"No. No, May, you're not getting off the hook that easily. Especially not while you're crying like this!" Caroline sternly spoke.

"Mom, I don't want to talk about it!" May turned her head towards her mother and said. "Please, just let it go?"

Caroline grew agitated at her daughter's stubbornness. "Then why did you call me in the first place—to let me watch you be so sad?"

"I…!" May withdrew slightly at her mom's aggravation and whimpered. "Well…no?"

"Snap out of it, May! You know why you called me!" Caroline exclaimed. "You wanted someone to talk to. I'm your mother for goodness' sake! Don't think for a _second_ that I'd just hang up the phone and walk away from you. Come on… You can tell me anything. Max and even your father will never have to know! How about that?"

"Well," May looked at her mother, and she looked back at her with a warm smile. Slowly but surely, a shadow of a grin grew on May's face. She stifled back a hiccup as she found refuge in her mother's offer.

"Alright."

"Now, what's been going on?" Caroline asked, knowing that May would pour everything out now. Calmly prodding her daughter, she tenderly asked, "I want to hear everything from the beginning. Take it slow and easy. How did this all start?"

May raised a sore eyebrow and commented, "Mom, I made a collect call…"

"Ugh, honey…" Caroline planted the palm of her hand onto her face and groaned. "I'll figure it out somehow later, alright? How did this all come about?"

"I think it… all started after I got back from the Wallace Cup like six months ago," May said, speaking slowly at first then increasing her tempo. "I came back to Goldenrod City, entered the contest there, but that was the hardest I ever fought and I still lost the contest! There were only a few more contests left, I still needed two more ribbons so I had to take a ship across the ocean to Olivine City."

**[14:59 P.M.] Olivine City (South Port), Johto Region — Two Months Ago**

It was a beautiful day to ride the seas. The skies above were cloudless and sunny, and the ocean below maintained low wave swells. Now docked, that cruise ship happily stayed in place, sturdy like a rock. On board, a voice came over the intercom, instructing the ship patrons accordingly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have just arrived at the docks of Olivine City. Please collect all of your personal belongings. You may depart when you're ready. We will need everyone departed in two hours at five o'clock P.M. I repeat, everyone departed in two hours."

May was onboard, smarting her wounds after a grueling loss in the Goldenrod Contest. She fought tooth and nail but even her own self-determination couldn't help her secure the prize. Granted, her individualism wasn't enough to place first in the Wallace Cup competition, but at least those had been the best four days she had in a long time. The competition was trying yet welcoming, the battles were invested but spectacular, and the appeals were awe-inspiring and empowering. Coming back from the Wallace Cup only to lose at the last second in Goldenrod was like coming home after a New Years party—a very sobering experience, indeed.

At the very beginning of her Johto journey, May traveled alone even though some of her Pokémon Coordinator friends and rivals were in the same region. They didn't travel together because it would've been extremely awkward if two rivals competed in the same contest after practicing together and knowing the other's strategies out of convenience. That said, the main quartet of coordinators, Harley, Soledad, Drew, and May started in different cities and partook in different contests for the sake of mutual competition.

So when May temporarily left the Johto region and her rivals behind in Ecruteak City, her journey to Lake Valor restored what she didn't have since the beginning of her Johto campaign. The Wallace Cup restored her old life, her old memories, and her best friends. When she arrived on the Valor Lakefront docks after boating from Snowpoint City, Ash, Brock, and Dawn were waiting for her with the hugest smiles on their faces. She would never forget that feeling. But now, getting back to the swing of things in Goldenrod, hastily making up for lost time in Olivine City, and expecting nobody to help her out was a sobering experience indeed.

May lay on the bed, mulling over the past several months in her head. She had been placed in a room right on a balcony, and today the door was open, letting in the cool breeze and sea-salt laced air. She couldn't help but stare out of the window, watching the soft curtains ruffle in the wind and the glistening light on ocean waves. She vaguely heard some sort of announcement, but the words just sailed through one ear and out the other.

_It's so peaceful here... _May thought dreamily._ I just wish everyone else could be here like this._ _I know they've got stuff to do, but… it'd be nice to keep traveling with them. Man, I I miss them a lot_.

"Attention passengers," The same voice over the intercom came up again. "Please continue to disembark from the cruise ship. We need everyone off within one hour and forty minutes. Please gather all of your personal belongings and thank you for traveling with us."

She heard it that time. May pulled herself upright off the bed and walked about her bedroom looking for anything that was hers. She grabbed her fanny pack, took up what little was left in the room, stored it neatly in her pack, and picked up the zipper about to seal the bag. She looked inside at the Poké Balls inside.

_Hey, we've got some time!_ May thought._ I'll let them have some fresh air before we leave! And I can laze around just a bit more!_

"Come on out, everybody!" she called out as every one of her Pokémon materialized in front of her. She gazed upon her Beautifly, Venusaur, Glaceon, Munchlax, Wartortle, and Blaziken with great pride and joy.

"Well guys, we're just about ready to get off this ship and head over to Olivine City. I want you all ready to win our last two ribbons, starting with the one in this city!"

Everyone responded affirmatively in their own Pokémon tongue.

"Great guys!" she acknowledged.

May's Blaziken off to the side cocked her head off to the side slightly and asked, "Blai? Blaze, blaziken?"

May just looked at her Blaziken and asked in return, "Hey, Blaziken, what's up?"

"Blaze," Her Blaziken responded. "Bla—ziken."

"Oh, I just guess I'm just thinking to myself about the Wallace Cup. That was such a great competition, right guys?"

Most everyone responded enthusiastically. Each of them had participated, and even though Dawn Berlitz won the unique Wallace Cup ribbon, it was still an overwhelmingly positive experience. However, Glaceon off to the side showed a slight but noticeable droop in her ears. May smiled at her for some encouragement.

"Just remember how much fun we had competing with everyone! Dawn had an amazing team going there, and I'm really glad for her that she won the competition. Zoey wasn't bad either; we really had to pull out a lot of strategies to combat her. It's just a shame that Ash didn't advance to the finals. I would've really loved to battle him, though. Just like the last day of our Kanto jour—"

"—Attention all passengers," The loudspeakers blared again, "Only one hour and twenty minutes remain before we load the next passengers aboard. Gather your belongings and exit the ship. Once again, thank you for traveling with us."

"Okay, in that case, everyone return!" May held out her Poké Balls and returned everyone, save Blaziken who backed away from the rest of the group to avoid getting called back inside.

"Hey, Blaziken? Are you okay? Don't you want to go back inside?" she asked as she indicated towards the last and empty Poké Ball. Blaziken shook her head.

"Aw, that's so sweet Blaziken! Why not? It'll just be the two of us like when we started out back in Littleroot Town!"

"Blai!" she responded very enthusiastically. Together, the both of them left their respective room, closed the door and headed toward the Olivine City dock.

**[18:25 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Shoreline Park), Sinnoh Region**

As the trio of Brock, Dawn, and Flint approached the exit of the Sunyshore Pokémon Center, the automatic glass doors opened, releasing the cool air outside. The afternoon sun had tired and began its slow decent towards the eastern horizon, creating an orange hue amidst the blue overtones of the sky. A warm breeze floated around the three trainers.

"It's really nice out," Brock commented, taking a deep breath and glancing around from left to right.

"Yeah man, it's always been like this," Flint said, casually dismissing Brock. "After spending my childhood here I'm so jaded, you know?"

"Still, I'd take this over someplace cold like Snowpoint City any day!" Dawn replied nonplussed as she brought her arms around herself, imagining the frigid air and feigning a shiver.

"Well I guess that's fair. Cynthia and Lucian are gonna have a hard time trying to find Ash especially if we can't find him first," Flint mentioned out loud, more to himself than anyone in particular. "Where _is_ he, anyway?"

As if mocking him, a commanding voice in the distance shouted, "Great job, Gliscor! Staraptor, use Wing Attack! Now Monferno, follow up with Mach Punch!"

All three trainers turned and swiftly jogged towards the source of the voice, each taking turns guessing at what Ash was training.

"He could be working on the spinning dodge! You know, he's used it in most of his battles so far!" Dawn called out against the passing trees.

"Naw, he's probably working on the counter-shield," Brock replied. "After all, he'll be at a serious disadvantage in the next Gym battle if only a few of his Pokémon can actually do it."

"My guess is he's just doing some sparing matches. There's a massive park just around the bend," Flint said as they rounded a corner onto an exquisite scene. "I bet that's where he's at!"

On the far end of the park's border lay the Sunyshore Lighthouse, dominating the skyward backdrop. Pristine white concrete, water fountains, lush grass, and many berry trees decorated the park walkways. In the center of the concrete sidewalk facing the lighthouse, Ash was commanding his Pokémon to use their attacks, not at each other, but on a beach ball. The pitiful training tool was surely taking a heavy beating.

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail! Grotle, bounce it back here with Rock Climb!"

Pikachu leapt into the air at high speed as Monferno threw a Mach Punch attack at the ball, hurtling it towards Pikachu. Crumpling into a dense sphere of yellow electric mouse, Pikachu started to spin, charging his Iron Tail all the while as he grunted a menacing, "Chuuu…PIKA!"

The attack landed a perfect hit and the unfortunate ball hurtled towards a neighboring tree, which Grotle, now with his claws extended, raced towards. Grotle jumped towards the tree, bounded neatly off, and violently swung his massive tail at the ball, sending it nowhere else but back at his owner—at frightening speed.

Ash, too busy yelling words at encouragement to Pikachu and Grotle, didn't notice his impending doom. Brock, Dawn, and Flint arrived in time to see Grotle direct his attack, and froze in both surprise and panic.

"ASH!" Dawn yelled out, almost afraid to do so.

Ash turned his head away from the ball, now completely oblivious to its trajectory. "Hey guys! You found—"

SMACK!

The beach ball landed directly on Ash's face, knocking him over, and apparently also knocking the wind out of him. As he fell to the ground, garbled words that didn't resemble language spewed out of Ash's mouth. Brock, Dawn, Flint, and all of Ash's Pokémon ran towards Ash, now sprawled with his hand covering his forehead.

"Ash! Are you O.K.? Can you hear me?" Brock asked hesitantly, stifling a laugh. "Can you talk?"

It seemed as though he and all of the others gathered around him were in a battle over themselves on whether to be genuinely concerned or to bawl on the floor laughing.

"Well Grotle," Ash mumbled after a few moments. "I think Paul was wrong about your strength… you nearly killed me with a beach ball…"

He slowly got up to his feet, chuckling and smiling, and soon all of his Pokémon had tackled him back to the ground affectionately as Dawn, Brock, and Flint smiled, watching. None of them happened to hear a soft disturbance in their midst, nor a duo of Pokémon trainers, one returning an Alakazam back into his Poké Ball.

"Having fun, Ash?" called out the woman of the duo.

All the commotion froze to a standstill as Brock, Dawn, Flint, Ash, and the entire roster of his team registered what was in front of them—Lucian of the Elite Four and Cynthia the Sinnoh Pokémon Champion.

"Cynthia!" Ash took the lead and said, "It's so great to see you again! How did you get here?"

"Lucian, it's been so long! How've you been?" Dawn warmly greeted.

Flint made an attempt to say, 'Hi,' or anything of that nature to his superiors, but somehow Brock had teleported from his spot previously to a spot right in front of Cynthia. Brock genuflected with his right knee on the ground and his right hand in Cynthia's, while Cynthia looked at him, flattered, but not flustered.

"Oh, Cynthia! The great angels of fate have brought us together today after all of this time! Surely this must mean it is prime to go on a romantic candlelit dinn—AAAUGH!"

Croagunk jabbed his trainer and effectively paralyzed him, for the second time in one day. After Croagunk dragged Brock's sorry carcass away chuckling to himself, Flint finally managed to knuckle pound Lucian and accost Cynthia.

"Dude, you guys kept us waiting! What took you two so long? I didn't think teleporting would take any longer than a blink of an eye!" Flint said slightly agitated, though nonetheless pleased to see the two of them.

"Cynthia had some family business to take care of before we left. We're going to have to speed things along a little, I'm afraid," Lucian responded calmly, to which Flint nodded in discreet recognition. Ash and the others on the other hand didn't catch the gesture.

"I see you've gotten everyone here Flint! I'm impressed!" Cynthia taunted Flint. He knew it was just a cover for his loss in battle earlier that day, but Flint just smirked back.

"Hey Cynthia, thanks for coming and everything, but I don't get it why you want to see my last gym battle so badly!" Ash questioned.

"Well, I really _do_ want to see your gym battle and get to know my future opponent first hand," Cynthia smiled as though she was hiding something but trying desperately to describe it. "However, there is something else that I'm here for."

Ash pumped his fist up just as Pikachu climbed up to his shoulders in response to Cynthia's praise.

Dawn jumped at that idea and asked eagerly, "What is it Cynthia? Does it involve us at all?"

"You know that we'd like to help with whatever you need to do," Brock added, who miraculously recovered from his Croagunk's Poison Jab in record time.

"I know, I know, very much so, but later, please," Cynthia replied patiently. "We've first got to let Volkner know that we're all here to see a gym battle!"

"AHEM!" A scratchy voice suddenly sounded from behind the whole group. "You twerps ain't goin' nowhere! We're here to steal all youse Pokémon!"

Ash's gut wrenched at that voice. Twisted between emotions of dread and sheer exasperation, he turned around in synchronism with everyone else. Cynthia, Lucian, and Flint all glanced up at some sort of vacuum in the sky, suspended by a hot air Meowth balloon and looked as puzzled and curious as toddlers. Ash, Brock, and Dawn were anything but puzzled and anything but curious. They knew that things were going to get sticky real soon.

"Team Rocket!" the three teens yelled in unison.

**[21:23 P.M.] Cianwood City (Pokémon Center), Johto Region**

"May," Caroline began, "So far I don't see why you're so upset! That boat ride sounded so beautiful, relaxing, and even romantic!"

"I know mom…" May sighed, remembering that day's events. "That's exactly how I felt. It's what happened afterward where everything fell through. Back then, I thought things were going so well… I had just gotten off of the boat, and I wanted to find a good place to train, so I looked around and decided to go to the Olivine Lighthouse."

**[15:47 P.M.] Olivine City (Lighthouse), Johto Region — Two Months Ago**

May and Blaziken stared at the elevator's flashing buttons which now indicated that they were close to the top. May noticed a poster plastered to the elevator walls and read, 'Calling out all Pokémon Contest Coordinators, young and old, expert and beginner! Come to the Olivine City amphitheater for the Pokémon Contest event of a lifetime!' Blaziken also noticed the poster and attempted to read on as May was reading it aloud.

"The contest is in a month!" May turned around to face Blaziken and said, "We better work hard if we're going to win this one Blaziken! You with me?"

Blaziken gazed out into her master's eyes and flared up her fists in response. She looked in top condition, and May couldn't be prouder. As the elevator doors opened up, the two of them walked together, somehow on autopilot towards the lighthouse's ledge, overlooking the ocean.

A few moments of silence passed between the two of them as they both absorbed the relaxing breeze. Blaziken breathed deeply in and out gazing directly into the sunlight. Habitually, Blaziken looked at the sun in order to regain heat energy.

But as May likewise attempted to relax and breathe in the ocean air, she couldn't help but regret this newfound bliss. Save Blaziken, May was truly alone all over again. No one back in Sinnoh could ever take off of their journey there, and she knew this. Nevertheless, that feeling of regret seemed to crawl inside of her like a vine quickly growing around a pole, constricting her.

Blaziken on her right side tore her eyes away from the sun and looked at her trainer. May reached into her pocket and pulled out a battered, but fully functional ribbon case which held every ribbon she had ever won. Blaziken could sense that May was troubled. Truth be told, Blaziken felt the same way.

"Blaze? Blaziken?" she asked softly but strongly.

"Oh, uh… it's nothing Blaziken," May seemed caught off guard and faltered slightly saying, "I was just thinking about all the times we shared together. All of them seem to lie right here, in this case."

Blaziken nodded in agreement with May and beckoned her to go on. She brought the bottom-most section of ribbons to the forefront. The little medals seemed to have lost some luster and the fabric looked tattered.

"Remember these? They were our first ribbons, all the way from Fallarbor to Pacifilog Town."

May turned her head and looked at Blaziken affectionately. "That's where I first met you. And the time when I met Ash; when we traveled and got through to the Grand Festival! I don't know how I would've done it if I hadn't met him at Professor Birch's lab."

She looked back to the ribbon case and brought forth the next set of ribbons. All of these looked well cared for, mostly because she learned to polish them more.

"And all of these," May said, reminiscing, "Are from Kanto, when we traveled with Ash through the Battle Frontier. I can't remember how many times he had helped us win these… He was so caring, so helpful, but—we had to split up. He told me to follow my dream, and to never give up. But I wonder if that was the right thing to do…"

As she brought up the next set of ribbons, the three that lay on that level didn't seem to inspire any words of reminisce for May to say. Those were the ribbons she had to fight for on her own. Somehow their perfection of sheen and fabric quality didn't mean anything to May. The thought struck May hard.

Hesitant at this thought, she asked Blaziken, "Blaziken, did you actually enjoy any of those battles we had to get these ribbons? I can't remember!"

Blaziken looked toward some point off of May's shoulder.

_Come to think of it, _Blaziken thought._ May seemed to partake in those contests like they were some sort of job, not having much fun with them… And so did I…_

"Blaze, blaze," Blaziken nodded solemnly. As Blaziken nodded, May felt something break inside of her.

"It's just… ever since we've left Ash everything has just been so much harder!" May spoke in a frustrated voice. "I don't have him by my side anymore, and he can't encourage me or help me when I need it the most! No one's around anymore."

Suddenly, a small object caught her eye. On the very last layer of the ribbon case lay a single ribbon, cut in half, with the would-be circle cut into a hemisphere, and only one section of fabric attached to the metal. It was half of the ribbon that Ash and May jointly won at the Terracotta Contest before going their separate ways.

Both May and Blaziken looked at the ribbon vigorously. Both were thinking about that very battle that bore the little symbol in May's hand. Ash sent out his Sceptile, a very powerful, but valiant Pokémon who put out all of his power in an effort to claim the full prize. To Sceptile and his trainer's disappointment, they never met that goal. Blaziken and May held their own, even overpowering Ash in terms of contest style, but they were only able to scrape a close tie with Ash in the end. Terracotta had only one medal to offer, so Ash ordered Sceptile to sever the ribbon into two halves. Ash held the right half, May held the left half.

Blaziken gazed at the ribbon, recalling the battle that day, and recalling the gallant warrior who never said 'no' to a fight. Blaziken suddenly realized how much that emerald vanguard meant to her.

May carefully took her proof of victory very carefully and gently tried to smooth out the fabric less out of reflex, but purposely, caring for it because of its inherent worth. She looked at it deeply, longingly. This ribbon was a symbol to her; a symbol of courage, strength, and overcoming impossible odds. It was also an embodiment of willpower, encouragement, and profound care.

_But why am I so attached to this ribbon? _May asked herself. _I know it's just a symbol of a battle with Ash, maybe even the most enjoyable battle I have ever had with anyone, but why?_

May continued to stare at the feeble prize, noticing the colorful seams of the fabric, the dull sheen reflecting off of the metal, and even the individual blemishes and scratches that dotted its surface. She felt her chest expand and contract as she also remembered the face of the boy who owned the other half.

_Maybe I… Maybe I need him…?_

"No!" She shouted. May scolded herself as she balled the ribbon into her fist. "What am I doing? I'm starting to lose it!"

She stuffed the ribbon unceremoniously back into the ribbon case, trying to push her thoughts away with it.

"It's not going to be any use to rely on Ash for help anymore!" May forcefully told herself.

Blaziken was shocked. She looked incredulously at May, unable to react to her new behavior. She had never seen her trainer try to push something out of her mind like this. Not to mention, this was Ash she was trying to push away! Usually she would talk it out, resolve it with someone—but then again, Blaziken realized, no human was here to hear her out anyway, to help her through this troubled time.

"We've got work to do Blaziken," May turned away from the sea and stared resolutely towards the city amphitheater and stated plainly. "Relying on someone else for help is not going to benefit us, especially when that someone is who-knows-where by now in Sinnoh."

She turned around to Blaziken, who in turn tried to look in agreement, but somehow couldn't muster it. Something was not right with her master.

"We're going to go into that contest hall next week, and we're going to win that ribbon over by storm!" May continued on, her words cascading into a reusing monologue. "Whatever it takes, let's put the Goldenrod and everything in the past behind us and win! What do you say, Blaziken?"

"Blaze!" Blaziken sounded off in agreement, but she also noticed a sixteen year old green haired boy with a black t-shirt underneath a vermilion jacket, with matching pants, and black shoes approaching May from behind. A cold shiver involuntarily went down Blaziken's spine.

"Truer words have never been said, May. I've been waiting for you to say that for a long, long time."

May turned around and saw Drew Blackthorne of LaRousse City, her old contest rival giving her a slow clap applause, lasting for only a few seconds before he spoke. May raised her eyebrows completely surprised.

"Drew! What the heck are you doing here—? Oh no… you're not doing this contest too, are you?"

"No," Drew said as he brought his hand up to his green hair. He flicked it the same way he had been since he first started Pokémon Coordinating in his trademark nonchalant flurry. "I was thinking about doing it just for fun, but I've already got my five ribbons. Check it out. All five, in the flesh. I have no need to partake in this contest, May Maple."

Drew took a shiny ribbon case from his pocket that had obviously been well attended to. It gleamed golden orange in the setting sunlight. May stood dumbfounded.

_It was always like this!_ May thought. _He's always_ _so far ahead of me!_

"What are you saying, Drew Blackthorn?" she finally asked, rather annoyed at her archrival's progress. "You've got your ribbons, so what?"

"For once this is neither about me, nor my ribbons. I'm congratulating you!" Drew clicked his case closed and placed it back in his pocket. He looked at May surprised, expecting that his intent was blatantly obvious. "You're telling yourself that you've finally broken free of Ash's old style and you decided to wipe out the competition instead of make friends with it. Now you can finally improve, but I must say it took you far too long to realize it."

"Hey!" May retorted, having her pride stung. "Ash helped me out a lot back in Kanto and Hoenn, you know that! Without him, I'd probably never had made it to both the Grand Festivals I went to, and probably not even half of the contests I went to!"

"Alright, fine. So he did. But where has that gotten you now? Hmm?" Drew smirked to himself. "Face it, May. You've grown soft. Look at you! You've only got three ribbons, the Grand Festival is in a few months, and there are only two contests left; one here and one on Cianwood Island!"

May was at a total loss for words. She knew that Drew was her rival and that he was probably just getting on her nerves on purpose, but she couldn't help but think that maybe she never created a style for her own, that maybe she _did _develop Ash's style unintentionally. She considered that maybe it was a good explanation for why she was so far behind.

"How about this, May? I'll help you," Drew casually flicked his hair again and took the initiative. "You can win that contest in a heartbeat with just a few pointers from me! Look at where my strategies got me! Five ribbons! All five with a month to spare! What do you say?"

Drew held out his hand for May to take.

May considered the offer for a good few moments, narrowing her eyes and weighing the consequences in her head, but considering her predicament, very few alternatives remained. Eventually she consented and shook his hand. May wanted to let go, but Drew suddenly pulled her into a dance position for a duet finale.

"But first, why don't we strategize over some dinner?" Drew asked in a sugary voice. His grip was firm and his ballroom form was flawless.

"Dinner? With me? I—" May sputtered out, totally flustered and partly upside down. May was stuck holding Drew's hand, while almost falling into his arms as well. "Really? Just you and me?"

"Just you and me," Drew smiled, pulled May to her feet and started walking towards the elevator door with her still in his arms.

Blaziken off to the side watched the entire scene unfold so rapidly that she had forgotten that her jaw fell open in a mixture of confusion and revulsion. Unfortunately for the fire fowl, Drew didn't even seem to notice Blaziken's presence.

Several steps before the elevator, May suddenly remembered that Blaziken was still standing on the lighthouse top, and tore herself out of Drew's arms. Rather quickly she withdrew Blaziken's Poké Ball and shot the retracting beam out of the red and white orb. Blaziken shrugged her shoulders in surrender as she moved into the beam's light. However, as she was retracted into her portable home and saw May and Drew walk into the elevator together, she couldn't help but think that accepting Drew's help was a terrible, terrible idea.

* * *

_Dear Readers,_

Midterms fell upon me during the re-edit phases and obviously consumed me. For the harrowing study hours, I bought 1 case of Top Ramen (48 pack), 2 cases of KRAFT Macaroni and Cheese (15 pack), 2 cases of Progressive Light Chicken Noodle and Beef Pot Roast Canned Soup (8 pack), 1 case of Mountain Dew 8 oz Cans (36 pack), and finally 1 case of Monster Energy 12 oz Cans (24 pack). So pumped.

Originally I had the sun setting in the _western_ horizon like our world, but then it had to be the _eastern_ horizon because Sunyshore is on the east side of the region so the sun should end there for there to be a sunset.

I also had to calculate the basic dimensions of the different Pokémon regions. When I was in Portugal on the Camino de Santiago, I walked basically 15 km per day for a total of 150 km from Porto, Portugal to Santiago, España. Considering that these kids are just walking leisurely, I assumed they would be working on about 5 km per day. If it could be said that twice the distance of Cerulean City to Lavender Town counts as the length of the Kanto region, and Ash took 10 episodes to make it to Lavender Town, that makes Kanto about 150 km long and wide, +/- 25 km for error. Also, since Sinnoh is based off of the real world Island of Hokkaido, its square area is 72572 km^2. Finally I made an arbitrary distance between Sinnoh and Kanto/Johto being 1000 km. Seems pretty reasonable.

When I originally wrote this chapter, I really had to characterize Drew correctly. I didn't want him to be an arrogant prick, just arrogant. I didn't want him to be a player, just playful. I also didn't want to make him a dream, just dreamy. I also didn't want him to be sexual, just sexy. It's these little moderation distinctions that make characters more believable. Making Ash over-powered or May a crybaby will only detract from their characters, not add to them. I realized that I've made May extremely emotional, but that is merely an author's privilege to create a foil to Ash, the emotionless male bimbo.

As always, keep reading, and keep reviewing.

* * *

_Story Notes:_

0 years after – Drew Blackthorne is born in LaRousse City

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

Uploaded, 06/06/10

| interim plot finally decided/drew as plot device/springboard for team rocket |

-beginning of wild ideas and senior year, writing slow

RE: edit. 09/04/11

RE: edit. 03/16/12

original title, "May"

RE: edit. 11/14/12


	14. Neo Discovery

**Chapter Eight: Neo Discovery**

No matter how many times the trio of Jessie, James, and Meowth magically appeared before the trio of Ash, Dawn, and Brock, the former group of three never got over the urge to collectively strangle something out of sheer annoyance. Team Rocket was just that omnipresent.

**[18:38 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Shoreline Park), Sinnoh Region**

"Listen, is that a voice of the Sinnoh Champion I hear?" Jessie rang.

"It's speaking to me loud and clear!" James replied.

"Sucking out the wind!"

"Near and far!"

"Noise in your ears!" Meowth chimed in.

"Stealing your Pokémon at a breakneck pace!" continued Jessie.

"Bagging them, napping them, putting fear in their place," added James.

"A trainer's or elite's Pokémon is just as sweet."

"But we have them both so our work is complete!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"And Meowth, now dat's a name!"

"Putting the do-gooders in their place!" spat Jessie.

"We're Team Rocket!" James triumphantly called.

"And we're in your face!" the whole trio exclaimed.

"WAAAHHH—BUFFET!"

"GET BACK IN YOUR BALL!" shrieked Jessie. She yanked out the small Poké Ball from her belt, enlarged it, and as quickly as mechanically possible retracted a sulking Wobbuffet back inside.

"Team Rocket!" the trio of Ash, Brock, and Dawn yelled out again.

Cynthia, Flint, and Lucian glanced over at the three teens who looked highly agitated and hardly willing to see this new bunch of people.

"Are these queers friends of yours?" Flint asked, looking up at the comical machine above.

"They do seem somewhat familiar… Have we met before?" Lucian also added.

"Yeah, they're the ones who took Buizel after our battle!" Dawn replied in a very frustrated tone.

"Missed us twerp?" Meowth called out from his own image inspired hot air balloon. "You and dat Pikachu blasted us up pretty far last time, but now we're back wit our Super Ultra PokéVac Mark Three! Now you get to see it in action as a first time victim!"

"I'm so honored," Ash sarcastically jeered.

"Is he insulting our devious plans and hard work?" James in the balloon basket flailed his arms in response and asked out loud, "The nerve!"

"You little brat! You don't know how long we've spent on this machine, not to mention the amount of _money_ we spent!" Jessie added.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Meowth maniacally laughed at the controls, his paw gently caressing the metal frame. "But it's all woith it. Every penny spent! Let's see, lift da flap, and hit da button…HEI—YAH!"

Suspended from the Meowth balloon was a large tank, flashing its lights to signal the engaging mechanisms. A wide tube extended out of the tank like a spring and with it, the nozzle of a vacuum , only magnified several times.

"Oh no, this can't be good…" Brock forewarned as the machine roared to life. Suddenly Brock realized what was happening. "Guys, they've tried this before! Hold onto your Poké—"

Too late. The little orbs from Ash's belt, Brock's backpack, Dawn's knapsack, Lucian's coat pocket, Cynthia's purse, and Flint's afro hairdo all flew out of their respectable homes like nails drawn to an electromagnet into the vacuum whirlwind of the Super Ultra PokéVac Mark Three.

—balls…" Brock inclined to finish.

Leaves and branches tore off of the surrounding public greenery. The water fountains lost the natural water arks as the water vaporized to mist and got sucked in with everything else. Worse still, Pikachu, who was on top of Ash's shoulder, and all of Ash's other Pokémon called out for the training session began to rise off of their feet, claws, and paws towards their doom.

"No! Pikachu, no!" Ash yelled out as Pikachu rose towards the machine much more quickly than anyone else. Ash watched in horror as Staraptor and Gliscor were unable to ride a current against the winds, as Infernape scratched wildly through the air as if trying to swim back down, and as Torterra stared blankly into the air as he was magically lifted skyward.

"HAHA-HAHAHA!" Grinning in the most comically, devilish, and nonsensical way possible to themselves, the trio of thieves pumped more hot air into the Meowth balloon's thrusters once all of their victims lay in the bowels of the tank and waved goodbye. "Team Rocket's blasting off for real!"

The balloon drifted off swiftly but at the mercy of the air, leaving the grounded trainers some time to prepare.

"Guys we have to get them back!" Ash urged everyone.

"But how?" Lucian appeared flabbergasted with his jaw wide open. He'd never been robbed so spectacularly before. "We don't have any flying Pokémon on us, or any others at all! How do you plan to catch up to them?"

"You know, it looks like they're headed towards the Lighthouse straight ahead!" Brock said, looking off into the distance with his squinted eyes. "Maybe we can cut them off if we reach the roof it time!"

"Well, what are we waiting for then? Let's go!" Cynthia shouted urgently.

At that, the whole gang started running at a breakneck pace towards the Sunyshore Lighthouse. Unbeknownst to the celebrating members of the hot air balloon, the ground group ran at a faster rate than the horizontal airspeed of the balloon. Perhaps if the airborne trio noticed that, whatever would transpire next wouldn't have in quite the same way.

**[21:35 P.M.] Cianwood City (Pokémon Center), Johto Region**

Caroline was fully gripped with her daughter's story. After all, she loved to recount smitten tales about her personal experiences for anyone with the patience to listen to her. However, she was deeply puzzled.

"May, this sounds so romantic and wonderful! Your first date with a young man—it reminds me of my first time with your father. He showed up at the restaurant looking so nice and handsome, and when he took my hand, I practically melted on the spot!"

Caroline seemed to have drifted off into the bliss of her not-long forgotten memory but she noticed May's eyes seemed to drop to her lap in embarrassment and shame.

Caroline snapped out of her quick reverie and tenderly asked her daughter, "Honey, what went wrong?"

"Mom," May answered in a barely audible whisper, her eyes still toward the ground, "Now that I look back, I know that it all started going downhill right there. He just came at me so fast, I—I didn't know what to do! I took his hand and followed him into the restaurant, you know, because I just thought he was just being nice! But now…now I think he was just trying to use me. No. He _did_ use me."

**[17:50 P.M.] Olivine City (Bruno's Bistro n' Barbecue), Johto Region — Two Months Ago**

Drew and May walked in through the double doors, hand in hand, and as they approached the seating waitress, the former casually and shamelessly voiced his opinion to his guest.

"I thought a regular restaurant for commoners would be fine for now."

The waitress, busy writing up her newly created seating chart, did not notice the pair of coordinators until she heard Drew's comment. She looked up rather quickly and began to ask for the party amount, but accidentally knocked over her seating chart, sending it crashing to the checkered floor with an obvious thump. She looked like this was her first night at work.

Hastily gathering her papers, she opened her mouth again to speak, but Drew cut her short.

"—Two please, and thank you."

"Oh, right…" she nervously responded. "Uh, yes, of course, sir!"

She clumsily gathered a pair of menus and motioned for May and Drew to follow her.

May seemed to notice the waitress' lack of familiarity with the place and decided that she was just getting used to the restaurant. She didn't mind that her party ended up walking the grand tour of the restaurant. Drew on the other hand was none too pleased with the waitress' indecisiveness.

"This will do, thanks," Drew said, motioning to an empty booth near the back. After the waitress had left and taken up their requests for drinks, the two coordinators began discussing 'contest strategy'.

"Drew, that wasn't very nice of you at all," May began as she glared disapprovingly at Drew.

"What? Taking you to dinner? On the contrary, I think it's high on the list of nice things I can do for you," Drew replied. He didn't seem fazed by May's question or facial expression in the least.

"Not dinner, I was talking about the waitress!" May sighed at Drew. "Couldn't you see that this is her first night here?"

"Well, if that's true, then she just needs to be trained up a bit more—" Drew cut himself short, lazily kicked back in his booth cushion and rested his head on his folded hands like a hammock. "Not so much unlike yourself, might I add. May, oh May… what are we going to do about you?"

"I don't know…" May looked at Drew in an embarrassed and almost hesitant way, letting her head droop slightly. "I tried as hard as I could when I was training by myself and my appeals looked fine and great, better than ever. But why isn't that helping me win?"

"Oh, but you already know the answer to that question. You're just too soft in battle," Drew almost snorted but quickly managed to turn it into a chuckle. "All I've ever seen you do in a contest hall is appeal to the audience like a coordinator, and then battle like a trainer.

"You really are just like Ash and you haven't truly learned your lesson. A contest battle is not for a simple Pokémon trainer, it's a whole level above it. You can't afford to play games anymore! To win a battle means to take an opponent out with brute skill and no mercy. As you well put it, win the battle by storm."

"But… Ash never battled to destroy his opponent!" May fiercely stated, trying to defend him. "He always battled because he enjoyed it—!"

"—and that's why he's never won any of those leagues he's competed in."

Drew sat up a little straighter and flicked his hair again.

"I could care less about how Ash battles. He is a terrible battler and an even worse coordinator. Don't follow in his wake."

"Drew! Why are you saying that?" May stared, not able to believe what she was hearing. "It all sounds so… so… _heartless!_"

"If you ever want to get anything, you have to be heartless," Drew sighed slightly to himself and a small grin spread across his face.

May suddenly felt both of Drew's hands clasp onto her own. Her sparkling sapphire eyes darted up to meet Drew's unfazed vermilion eyes in reflex, but she did not take her hand away. She felt his fingers slowly run across the palm of her hand.

"Well… sometimes," Drew said, smirking slightly as he did.

Somehow holding his hand seemed to relax May like nothing had before. Completely forgetting Drew's comment made not seconds ago, and not explicitly knowing that she was doing it, she lightly squeezed Drew's hand and smiled at him. He returned the favor and sustained it for little longer.

But then, just as quickly as he had taken hold of May's hand, he let it go to pull a large glass of iced water toward him. It was then that May noticed her lemonade out of the corner of her eye.

**[21:53 P.M.] Cianwood City (Pokémon Center), Johto Region**

"Oh no," Caroline shook her head slowly in disproval. Now all of the handsome thoughts she had for Drew vanished like a fragrance in the wind. "May, that boy is nothing but trouble! Why, oh _why_ didn't you talk to me before now?"

"I don't know, Mom! I didn't think I'd need to! He seemed so nice that I… I just got caught up with him!" May desperately tried to explain.

Caroline furrowed her brow and sighed softly. "Honey, you and I both know you didn't just get 'caught up' with him."

"W-what? What do you mean?" May asked.

"You were head over heels for him, May. You loved him."

A cold chill shot down through May's spine. "W-What? Mom, no I… no I didn't!"

"Well, you probably didn't love him quite like I love your father, at least. I think you just liked him very, very much—more or less," Caroline shot May an apologetic look, trying to express her empathy for her. "It's natural, May! Liking guys like Drew is what love at your age is all about. You're so eager to jump into the fray that you don't notice the shortcomings along the way."

May sat still, feeling her chest tensing up and forming a knot somewhere around her heart. She felt constricted, like on the verge of suffocation. She took a breath of air to annul her pains but it only made the feeling worse. She looked back at her mother to try and say something, but her mother saved May the trouble and cut her thoughts short.

"All I'm trying to say… is that I understand. You know, I was once a young girl myself. There is nothing to be ashamed of, nothing at all," Caroline continued to gaze at her daughter with utmost care and comfort. She smiled to encourage her, "Go on May, tell me what happened after all of that training."

**[17:49 P.M.] Olivine City (Pokémon Contest; Main Stage | Third Round, Finals), Johto Region — One Month Ago**

"Beautifly, use String Shot, and follow it up by Silver Wind!" May commanded.

Beautifly immediately complied and loosed a digit-wide sticky string from its elongated proboscis into the air. She stopped the seemingly endless thread and rapidly flapped her wings at an incredible rate, procuring a whirlwind laced with a strange silver hue. Opposite of May on the contest field stood a frail-appearing boy who looked as though Beautifly's newly conjured assault will knock him off the battlefield entirely.

Commanding a large Fearow, he shouted out, "Dodge that whirlwind and use Wing Attack!"

The Fearow witnessed the combination maelstrom of String Shot and Silver Wind take shape and charge directly towards itself. Obeying his master, the Fearow dove directly toward the ground, easily dodging the cyclone by several yards to spare, and flew directly parallel to the ground causing the field to release dust into the air. Finally, Fearow pulled straight up darting directly towards Beautifly.

"Use Psychic to direct the String Shot and Silver Wind! Intercept that Fearow!" May yelled out while the Fearow was still flying parallel to the ground.

Beautifly widened her eyes in concentration as her pupils glowed an eerie aqua marine. Shortly after, a glowing light mirroring the hue in Beautifly's eyes appeared in the center of the waning cyclone's winds. The glowing mass slowly started to rotate and dragged the surrounding air into a concentrated vortex. Within seconds, the spinning air accelerated, displacing the glow across the entire cyclone until it narrowed into a funnel. Just as the Fearow pulled out of its horizontal flight and flew directly at Beautifly, the later directed its mental thought and guided its onslaught.

"This is it ladies and gentlemen!" the Johto Master of Contest Lillian announced to the riled crowd. She gazed at the scoreboard and reported, "There's only twenty-three more seconds left on the clock, and the scores are almost matched! This last attack will decide it! Who will it be? "

The crowd, imitating the MC's excitement began cheering for their champion and watched the final assault to unfold. Everyone in the contest hall sat on the edge of their seats anxiously waiting, but a certain Drew Blackthorne partook in none of the atmosphere.

Off to the side in the shadows of the stage entrance hallway and out of sight from the crowd, judges, and contestants, Drew contemplated not of contest strategy but rather of what to make out of May and her recent gestures.

_What has gotten into her anyway?_ Drew wondered inside his head as he turned toward the contest battle ahead of him. _All I wanted was some fun, not a full blown commitment! She must think I'm serious about her or something weird like that…_

**[17:44 P.M.] Olivine City (Pokémon Contest; Prep Room), Johto Region — One Month Ago**

May and Drew sat side by side in the changing room on one of the many benches by themselves in anticipation for the final round of battle. The room was void of anyone else because all of the previously eliminated contestants were seated in the crowd. May was lightly tapping her knees together in slight apprehension but Drew kept a straight face with total calm.

"Attention finalists May and George, please report to the stage in one minute," A secretarial voice called through the speakers. Upon hearing the announcement, Drew stood up from his place on the bench and turned towards the door leading to the main seats.

"Just remember what we practiced: no mercy, just power and grace, and you'll be fine," he spoke with an afterthought-like tone.

May nodded absentmindedly at Drew's advice and looked towards Drew. When she noticed him already walking towards the Prep Room exit she quickly stood on her feet and called out, "Drew, wait!"

He turned around about to ask what, but no sooner had he even moved his torso, May practically jumped on him and pulled the unsuspecting coordinator in a tight embrace. He was taken quite by surprise.

"May, what are you doing?" Drew asked uncomfortably.

"I'm thanking you for all that you've done for me!" May looked up at him expecting the answer to be obvious and smiled. "Is that a crime?"

"It was nothing…" Drew replied, attempting to keep his composure. That was proving to be quite difficult considering how May's arms weren't relenting in the very least. "Er—you've got a contest battle to get to!"

"They can wait for me right?" Instead of listening to reason, May began to take in the moment as she murmured, "Mmm… I wish we could stay this way forever…"

"What? You wish… you wish what?" he asked, almost afraid of the answer.

The young girl tried to keep her face from showing any sign of weakness, but she still felt a tight knot deep inside her chest and a rosy blush on her cheeks.

"I… I wish we could stay like this, you know? Me and you?"

Drew stood in place at a loss of smooth words to say. Instead of groping around for the right words and stuttering, he decided to abruptly pull out of their hug and lightly push her in the direction of the contest hall. May didn't mind being reminded of the task at hand but as she walked off and waved back, she didn't catch sight of a return wave, but rather a sight of Drew fixing his vest for wrinkles.

**[17:51 P.M.] Olivine City (Pokémon Contest; Main Stage | Third Round, Finals), Johto Region — One Month Ago**

"Forever," Drew contemplated. The word kept repeating itself in his head as he tried to visualize the pair of coordinators in each other's presence for all eternity , till death did them apart, in love for all time. His mind floundered.

"I can't do that," Drew decided with a frown on his face. "I have to end this and end this fast, before it gets any worse."

Drew looked up towards the sky directly above the winner's circle to watch the final blow of the contest round. May's Beautifly perfectly directed the silvery vortex combination attack at the boy's Fearow. Upon contact, the large bird's flight path was halted as its body became engulfed by the searing silver winds. The latent String Shot contacted with the Fearow's feathers and bound its wings together like a rotisserie preparation.

Once the storm's winds had exhausted itself, the bound bird fell out of the air and landed on the ground with a resounding thump. The buzzer rang, signaling that time had run out, the battle was over, and the contest winner was to be decided.

"Time is up, and who's our winner?" Lillian excitedly asked the crowd. With great enthusiasm she drew her microphone toward her and announced, "It's May, from Petalburg City! Congratulations, May! Let's give her a great round of applause!"

The crowd roared as the winner was announced. Up on the scoreboard the point deductions had made it clear that May had won the contest with a landslide finale. She waved out to her fans in the crowd and ran towards the field. As May embraced her Beautifly and walked over to congratulate the boy and his Fearow, Drew withdrew to the contestant waiting room and walked further to the main lobby. Once he reached the empty entrance room, he eyed around for the videophones and approached the nearest booth.

He sat before the videophone kiosk, punched in the number that he had memorized, picked up the transceiver and waited for the dial tones. After a short while, the familiar red-haired face of Soledad appeared on the screen and spoke happily when she saw the caller's video feed.

"Drew!" Soledad squealed. "Oh my God, where have you been? I've been waiting for you to call for days now!"

"Oh, me too, beautiful. You're in that Cianwood Hotel I booked for you right?" Drew replied sweetly, leaning in slightly to get a better view of his call recipient.

"Of course! I can't wait for you and me to spend some quality time together!" Soledad asked with a sly look on her face. "What's taking so long?"

"I was staying in Olivine to help May out with her contest…" Drew said, reclining in his chair, lazily flicking his hair as usual. "Only because I am such a good person."

"Did she win?"

"With my help, naturally yes."

"Well that's good for her, but when will you get here? I can't stand the anticipation!" Soledad kept questioning, teasing Drew all the while. "A part of me thinks you're doing this on purpose!"

"Well maybe I am? Who knows?" Drew smoothly spoke with a wink. "Should be within the next day or so. But read my lips… I'll show you the best night you've ever had if you show me mine."

"Hahaha, oh I will!" She giggled with glee at his gestures. Suddenly her tone dropped down into playful suspicion. "_Say_. You haven't been doing anything with May have you? If you have, your window of opportunity will close on you… I'm sure it won't be pleasant."

Soledad she tightened her cross-legged pose and gave Drew a threatening snarl to top it off.

"Oh, I would never dream of it," Drew's already wide grin seemed to snake wider at Soledad's gestures. "Honestly, May doesn't even come close to as interesting as you. You're just absolutely perfect."

"Aww… Drew you're so sweet! I'll be waiting for you then." Soledad brought her hands towards her mouth and spread them out after blowing him a kiss. "I love you!"

"You too, Soledad. Bye."

At that, Drew hung up the videophone and turned around to see May approaching behind him from the contest participant room. Only one lose end remained.

**[22:12 P.M.] Cianwood City (Pokémon Center), Johto Region**

"May, do you realize just how _lucky_ you are to be rid of this guy?"

May looked up to her own videophone feed and saw her stunned mother with her eyes wide open as if she were watching open heart surgery.

"Just listen to yourself! Drew's just a hormone driven jerk! Be happy that you left him! Speaking of which, how did you leave him?"

"Mom… h-he left me," May continued hesitantly. "A month later… I was about to go on stage for the final round and to face off against Soledad. I was doing fine in the Cianwood Contest, but I wanted to go over to her waiting room to wish her luck before we faced each other.

"I knocked on the door, but there was no response, so I tried to listen if there was anyone inside. I heard sounds so I opened the door up a crack…" May's voice started to falter slightly as she neared the end.

"And what dear? What did you see?" Caroline pressed on even though she knew the answer before she had asked.

"I… I saw them h-hugging real close a-and Drew was moving his hands all over Sol-Soledad, and they—they were kissing like… l-like…"

"May, don't let yourself get dragged down by this guy! I understand what you're going through," Caroline heaved a heavy sigh when she heard her final words. "You feel betrayed, cheated, and you never even got around to telling him exactly how you felt, and then this came up. I bet you couldn't concentrate during your contest right? It's completely fine if you were unfocused. I know that I would be if I were in your place."

"The t-thing is…" May continued. "As soon as Drew and I landed in Cianwood, Soledad took up _all_ of Drew's time. There was a month left for the contest and we both needed to practice… but whenever I would try to find them they were nowhere to be found! I ended up training mostly by m-myself for a whole month until the contest. And then this all happened… I was so stupid…"

**[20:13 P.M.] Cianwood City (Beach), Johto Region**

"I lost…" she mouthed softly to herself. "I lost…"

The final round of the Cianwood City Pokémon Contest was heartbreaking to watch. Although May sent out Blaziken and Glaceon, her best two Pokémon for the battle against Soledad's Lapras and Pidgeot, she couldn't keep focused on the battle at hand. Her mind constantly wandered back to the waiting room where Drew and Soledad were "preparing".

_Why did Drew suddenly do that to—no… with Soledad? _May thought angrily to herself, her mind consumed in a civil war over the evening's events. _They've never even been together before! Wait, but the whole time at the hotel… no that can't be. We spent so much time together…!_

_Drew and I went through a whole month of training just for the Olivine ribbon… that can't have been for nothing! _May couldn't help but feel her eyes sting at the mere memories._ We talked, saw places together… we even held hands… we had a great time! Doesn't he care about me? Why Soledad?_

May walked along the Cianwood coast away from the Pokémon Center, her eyes staring at the moving ground below her. She would've loved to have Blaziken, Glaceon, or anybody by her side to cope with the loss and talk, but everyone she knew was taking a well-deserved rest back at the Pokémon Center. May was all alone.

_It wasn't their fault… They battled as best they could just like always._ May thought bitterly. _It's my fault this happened. I… I couldn't stop thinking about them… I wish Drew wasn't with Soledad at all. I wish… I wish he was with me…_

The setting sun cast its crimson light all along the coast of Olivine, enveloping it in a sea of brilliant orange and soothing red. Off in the distance, a deep and mellow horn resounded. May looked up in reflex for the source and spotted a large transport ship among a few empty docks on the port.

All she wanted to do was run away. The inviting freedom of an escape on the seas called to May like the horn off in the distance. The events of the contest jarred in her mind, every mistaken order she called reverberated in her ears, and the image of Drew and Soledad in a passionate liaison only clawed at her from the inside. Those thoughts constricted her chest, preventing her from even breathing normally. It was like a betrayal, a betrayal of trust, emotion, and friendship. All of her mind was focused on the boy whom she thought had eyes only for her, who stuck with her for all of these weeks, who for some reason let her go before she could even see it coming.

Suddenly May noticed two barely recognizable figures walking towards the boat in the distance, hand in hand. Once she noticed emerald green hair on one of them, she ran towards the cruise ship to try to catch up with them.

"Drew…!"

Some distance away from May's figure, Drew and Soledad were discussing the results of the contest. As they neared the cruiser they focused their discussion on what had happened to their once formidable rival.

"You know Drew, I didn't have any fun during the final round. After facing May in the Johto Grand Festival I hoped that she improved. My intuition tells me she did but it looked like she couldn't concentrate today. She looked distraught! I wonder what happened…" Soledad spoke as she held her left hand in Drew's right.

"I'd stop worrying about it, really. You won the contest, and now you can go to the Grand Festival! That's what really counts right now," Drew responded reassuringly. He just wanted to get this episode over with as soon as possible.

"I guess," Soledad nodded at Drew's words. "But I hope that the next time I see her we can have a real contest battle."

Out of the corner of his eye, Drew noticed a girl with a green and white bandana running down the shoreline of the beach, waving him down. He sighed to himself and decided it was best to really settle things once and for all.

"Hey Soledad, go ahead and save us a seat on the boat. There's something I need to take care of before we leave," Drew requested.

She shrugged it off as no big deal and complied. "Sure thing Drew! Just make sure you come back, or else the boat will leave with me on it!" She teased with a wink.

"Don't worry. I'll be there," Drew smiled.

Drew released Soledad's hand and watched her run off to the ticket checker, explain the situation, and then walk up the ramp. Just as he was satisfied that Soledad had disappeared from view, Drew turned around to see May running towards him, wearing the most worn and broken expression he had ever seen in his life.

What used to be a chirpy and positive young coordinator degenerated into a downtrodden and ragged girl who looked like a victim of neglect. As much as he hated to put May in this state, Drew felt that it was best to get this all over with; even at the expense of May's heart.

Stifling back her building tears, she began, "Drew, I… I—"

"—May, I'm really sorry," Drew cut her off.

"_Why_ Drew? Why did you suddenly go after S-Soledad?" May's speech faltered even more as she tried to hide her hears. "I thought… I th-thought…"

"May," Drew sighed. "You and I are just really good friends."

"Then why were you acting so nice to me? You helped me w-win the Olivine contest, told me all of those… sweet things… and we went out to dinner all the time!" May was practically pleading with Drew at this point. "I don't understand!"

"May, I was only trying to have a good time with you," Drew said softly. "I knew that the Grand Festival was fast approaching, and I knew that I had to get you off of that horrible battle style as soon possible. It was nothing more than that."

"But… Drew… I th-thought…" May couldn't take it any longer. She had to say what was on her mind. As fresh tears started to fall down her face, May shouted, "I thought you liked me!"

The sight was hard to watch. As Drew saw May finally break down in front of him, he realized the magnitude of what he'd done, but he also realized that nothing he could say would really fix the problem, so he stayed the course and kept to his candid, but insensitive honesty..

"May, I was just flirting with you. I don't know what else to say. I've been with Soledad for a while, long before you even came back from Sinnoh. You just didn't know it, and I regret not telling you beforehand…"

Drew sighed to himself and rubbed the back of his neck. "If you knew, I guess it wouldn't have been as hard on you when you found us in the Prep Room."

He waited for a response from May, but received none, only choked back sobs.

Taking this as his queue to continue he explained, "Look. We couldn't make it together even if we tried. I'm way too ambitious, I want to take things to the next level, and I know that you're not like that. Things just wouldn't work out."

May wanted to say something, to do something, to keep whatever feelings Drew may have had her before they were gone forever. Slowly she realized there was nothing that could be done. May felt the boy of her desires slip away right in front of her. All she could muster was to look up at him, and stare into his pine green eyes and plead for another chance.

Drew wouldn't have any of it. "May… listen to me. I'm really sorry for what I've done to you. I never meant to hurt you, and I don't know how to begin to say how regretful I am for doing that."

He called out his Roserade from its Poké Ball and requested it to provide him with a white rose. Roserade gladly offered the white flower to Drew, who in turn, presented it to the girl in front of him.

"You're probably sick and tired of these roses by now, and I can't say I blame you. I just want you to have one very last rose, as a parting gift."

As Drew handed May the white flower, he heard the horn behind him sound off its warning. He recalled his Roserade, and turned his attention back to May once more.

"I hope one day you'll forgive me," Drew spoke solemnly.

With a heavy heart, he nodded May goodbye and ran off to the ticket manager of the cruise ship, climbed aboard, darted out of May's sight, and sat alongside Soledad.

The tears were still slowly edging down May's face as the resounding horn of the cruise ship merrily announced its farewell to Olivine City. As May wiped her face to more clearly see the boat leave, the brilliant setting sun cast a beautiful display of reds, oranges, and yellows across the sky.

"Bye, Drew."

As the cruise ship parted the Johto waters, she stayed loyal vigil, watching the ship venture out further into the horizon, slowly diminishing in size until it was gone. A gentle sea breeze filled the air and seemed to whisk the melancholy conversation of minutes ago away with it. May, realizing that Drew had finally left her for her archrival Soledad, turned back toward the Pokémon Center, and walked slowly towards her destination. As she walked however, her attention was not focused on the moving ground below her, but on the flower in her hands, emanating the hue of the setting sun.

She distinctly noticed that even though its petals were naturally white, she saw tones not of pure white, but of red, yellow, and orange. The hue reminded her vaguely of feelings of joy, good memories, and peace. It was a warm, comforting shade of auburn.

* * *

_Dear Readers:_

(Needless to say, I am surprised myself. It's been well over a year and I'm still sticking with it. I know that I've disappointed you, in fact, I've disappointed myself. However, this does not mean that I won't keep writing. You may have thought that it was writer's block or hiatus, but no. It was me being lazy or busy with actual work in school. Right now I'm a senior in high school, and college applications are literally the first thing on my mind when I wake up in the morning. But this story is what's on my mind every night when I think before I go to bed. I never gave up on the story, and I am intent on finishing it the way I wanted to when I started two years ago. I can't promise anything, but I will try to continue to write, even if it kills me.)-**LOL two years ago**

The scheme of titling these four "May" chapters revolve around the Neo expansion set of the Pokémon TCG. Neo Discovery (Scizor) was the first pack of Pokémon cards I had ever gotten. It was rather odd to receive them at a time when my parents believed that Pokémon was a direct cause of childhood disobedience and satanic idolization. I had no idea what treasures I had stumbled upon. You could say it was a _discovery _of my Pokémon journey. For May, this is the discovery of something new, a reason to return beyond competing for a contest. The following titles Genesis, Discovery, Revelation, Destiny all follow the flow of May's conversation. First she begins to open up, then we discover why she's depressed, then it is revealed that May's healing is begun, then finally we break off and begin to see how all of this is tied in with Ash (Riolu), Pikachu, and May.

I had to add in a little bit more sultry into the Soledad/Drew conversations. I feel like they could hit it off quite well. As for the canon-icity of such a pairing, call it my author's license to write pairings as I see them fit, even if they are rather arbitrary and/or function only as plot devices.

As always, thanks to you my readers! :D

* * *

_Story Notes:_

N/A

* * *

_Author's Note:_

Uploaded, 12/01/10

| complete may backstory/drew portrayed effectively/experiment with color/attempt at saddened diction, must refine |

RE: edit. 09/06/11

RE: edit. 03/16/12

original title, "Instigate and Separate"

RE: edit. 12/06/12


	15. Neo Revelation

**Chapter Nine: Neo Revelation**

**[18:48 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Lighthouse), Sinnoh Region**

_Don't worry about a thing, you guys… I'll make sure that Team Rocket doesn't get away with our Pokémon. You can count on it!_

Even though the gang of Ash, Dawn, Brock, Lucian, Cynthia, and Flint all arrived at the base of the Lighthouse together, Ash decided to ascend its height through the stairwell rather than the elevator, claiming that it would 'be faster'. After all, he did have an affinity for spiral stairs.

_This is nothing! I've been through those virtual steps back in Professor Hale's mansion and then in Alamos Town! _Ash thought to himself, recalling the crazy adventures he had. Granted none of it was ever easy, but he had plenty of help to make the impossible merely improbable. _Come to think of it, Team Rocket actually helped back in that mansion. They saved me from falling down the side of the tower…_

No matter how reluctant he was to admit it, he did feel a great deal of gratitude for their help in the past, even if only for a few fleeting moments—usually when he was about to die. They may not have been the most resourceful bunch on a regular day, but Ash was convinced that Team Rocket had a good side somewhere in there. Right now though, that didn't matter. Every last Pokémon Ash had on his Sinnoh team was abducted, along with the Pokémon of his friends and respected trainers the world over.

_I should be getting close… _Ash thought to himself as he heard the echoes become less intense.

His legs pained him, pleading him to stop springing up the stairs but he didn't care. The exit door was close and he could almost feel like his closest friends and partners were just a few more steps away.

"Don't worry, Pikachu. I'm coming!"

**[18:50 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Lighthouse), Sinnoh Region**

Lucian was quite perturbed by Ash's brashness, particularly when he slammed the fire emergency staircase door open and ran up that way, frightening the receptionist and a nearby family of tourists.

"You know, I'd hate to be such a pessimist in this situation, but Ash is being really foolhardy by taking the stairs. He could be only halfway through the stairwell by the time we reach the top."

Dawn chuckled to herself. "No need to worry. Ash has had lots of practice with stairs. Trust me. He'll get there way before we do."

"I've been with him for a long time and I will admit that he's a bit too reckless," Brock added. "But after all of this time, I'm glad to say that it always paid off in the end. I wouldn't have him be any other way."

"Me neither, but you know what? I just hope that we get our Pokémon back," Cynthia commented.

"You know what? I just wish I had elbow room!" Flint laughed out loud. Everyone in the cramped elevator turned around and glared at him.

"What're you looking at?"

**[18:51 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Industrial District), Sinnoh Region**

The sun was about to set, so it meant that is was finally time for one particular nocturnal Pokémon to come out and search the city for a leftover bite to eat. It wasn't like this every night, sometimes he'd scavenge for berries from the surrounding forest when he traveled in between cities, but for some strange reason he could never bring himself to travel too far away from this one. Something about Sunyshore City made him want to linger within its boundaries. It was as if he knew something big was about to happen and that he was an integral part of it. He didn't mind though; there was always great human food to find, even if the humans who stored it wouldn't bother to second glance the trash bins where they cast it away.

Gathering his thoroughly worn cloak off the ground where he was meditating for the day, he stood up to observe his surroundings with his eyes and to visualize the ebb and flow with his mind. As a psychic, he was well versed in the mental arts, and made sure to exercise his talent every day. After all, he needed it to survive.

Today, home was an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. It didn't matter what place, so long as there weren't any signs of life nearby, human or Pokémon. The creature raised its right tri-digit hand in the air and mentally probed the walls of the building. More accurately, he probed through the walls of the building to check for anybody's presence outside. Satisfied when he felt nothing of the kind, he relaxed his arm and relaxed the mental procedure.

Even though his nightly pre-activity ritual was complete, the strange Pokémon didn't bring his arm down to the side. Instead, he held it midair and stared at his hand in thought. These days it seemed like thinking was the only useful thing the Pokémon could do. Thinking and hiding until his integral role was completed. At least it was a manageable practice.

He looked at his hand's contours, the dull purple hue of his epidermis, the spherical shape of the ends of his fingers, and moreover, the eerie blue glow that emanated from his entire hand. The Pokémon saw more plainly than ever that his hand was not distinctly Pokémon, nor distinctly human—but of course this was the case. No Pokémon or human in recorded history has ever possessed the same traits as he, mental or physical. This was because he was not an accident of nature. He was engineered.

He was created to become the ultimate biological destructive machine, tailored for control by a human poised for personal gain in mind. Genetically modified from a parent DNA sample of an ancient Mew, geneticists inoculated the strand with modified genes, enhanced abilities, and eventually constructed a body in vitro on New Island. Nonetheless, he functionally only a clone, the first copy of a purposeful creature that evidently roamed the earth. As such, the creature questioned the meaning of his existence. He asked the same question nearly every day of his cognition, even subconsciously as his body grew in the amniotic fluid.

Once decanted, he learned of his predetermined destiny and rebelled against his creators, destroying the laboratory, its inhabitants, and eventually his benefactor's mansion in a savage fit of rage. Without a purpose assigned to him, the creature created his own, and amassed an army of clone Pokémon, only to disband it after feeling compassion for the very first time.

And when he let his created comrades decide for themselves what path of life they wanted to take, he was left alone once more. All of them settled comfortably with some remaining in the Mt. Quena oasis of Clarity Lake and others in the Johto and Kanto regions. On the other hand, the Psychic Pokémon decided to travel the world, city hop like a motley crew of college students on summer vacation, minus the companions. It was this lackthereof that he traveled between cities; it was his attempt to divine a sense of belonging.

Snapping out of his thoughts, he raised his hand once more, mentally grasped the metal door at the entrance of the warehouse, opened it, and walked outside. His cloak caught the floating breeze and ruffled against his back as he looked to the skyline for his choice high-rise.

Again using his mental powers, the creature levitated itself slowly and methodically, taking great care not to send out stray psychic disturbances that may be recognized by acute psychic species. He spotted his favorite outpost, the lightening rod needle that jutted out far higher into the sky than any other building in the industrial district, and stood on its point with his high profile bi-pedal.

As he gazed over the city amidst the nearly setting sun, he watched the glowing light spread itself all over. His panoramic view had all of the skyscrapers of the downtown area, the park contained inside of it, and even the lighthouse along the beach. The creature gazed upon this scene with a sense of connection and belonging, as if he was one with the scenery.

Suddenly, he noticed a large Meowth hot air balloon, oddly not blending with the rest of its surroundings, floating towards the lighthouse. Then, as if pricked in the side by a needle, he noticed a small band of trainers running madly after the balloon. Among the group, he instantly recognized a young trainer with jet-black hair and auburn eyes. Memories of New Island and Mt. Quena flooded back to him; memories of compassion, dedication, and a sense of belonging.

"Ash," quietly thought Mewtwo. "It has been too long."

**[18:53 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Lighthouse), Sinnoh Region**

"You know, Luxray, it has been too long since the last time we really battled someone worthwhile," Volkner mused to his partner Pokémon, who growled in agreement. "I just wish someone would challenge me already. I can only cross so many wires, reconfigure so many capacitor-resistor matrices, and attempt to raise array efficiency at the gym so many times before I get bored with it!"

The Gym Leader of Sunyshore City watched his hometown sunset from the top of the lighthouse tower. It was peaceful and serene. The breeze was soft, and the smell of the sea beckoned him as it always did. He was usually an eccentric character, with yellow hair, passionate brown eyes, sporty navy jacket, and slim cut black jeans. Unfortunately, the past few months have subdued him greatly.

"I swear. I'd give anything to see something crazy happen right now."

SLAM!

Volkner and Luxray immediately jumped as they heard the emergency stairwell door burst open with a violent bang behind them. Luxray directed itself at the noise and growled at the red-capped aggressor.

As he was running, the same aggressor called out, "Hey! Have you guys seen a big Meowth hot air balloon come past here?"

Volkner looked at his partner beside him, raised an eyebrow, and turned back to the running boy. As he shook his head he wondered if someone from the Powers-That-Be really listened to his last statement.

"Are you sure?" An exhausted boy stopped in front of Volkner panting but pressed on, "There are these thieves in that balloon and they have our Pokémon! I just have to find them!"

"Wait, who's 'our'?" Volkner asked.

"Cynthia, Flint, Lucian, Brock, and Dawn! Team Rocket's got them!"

"Hold on, what?" Volkner asked in surprise. "You know Flint and Cynthia? Who's this Team Rocket?"

"Volkner!" called a voice behind the Gym Leader. The elevator door behind him opened up with Flint shouting out to his childhood friend.

Evermore confused, Volkner asked the kid before him, "If you know all of these guys, who are you?"

"Oh right. I'm—" The young kid stopped short when he spotted the whiskers of Team Rocket's balloon floating upwards past the lighthouse overpass. "There they are!"

When the balloon basket reached the eye level of the onlooking group of Pokémon trainers on the lighthouse observation deck, the trio of Jessie, James, and Meowth realized that their flawless plan was in jeopardy yet again and scrambled to get out of the area as soon as possible.

"Hey! Dat's da twerp and da whole crew!" Meowth panicked at the sight. "We gotta get outta here guys!"

"James, use the thruster engines!" Jessie shrieked. "We've got to get out of here fast so we can get these Pokémon back to the Boss! _James, hurry up!_"

James fumbled around trying to look for the balloon booster button. "Okay, okay, hold on! Now let me see, where's the remote…?"

"Oh, no! They're getting away!" Dawn began panicking groundside just like the thieves were. "We have to do something, quick!"

"This is bad, this is very bad..." Lucian said with a doomsday face. "There's no way we can catch up with that balloon if they get their thrusters to work!"

Volkner was about to instruct his partner Pokémon to launch an electric attack but Flint stopped him.

"No, man! Don't get your Luxray attack that balloon! It might hit the fuel lines and make the whole balloon explode!"

There was no time left. The answer to Volkner's boredom plea made a split second decision.

"I'm going after our Pokémon, no matter what it takes!" He started running as fast as he could towards the edge of the lighthouse. "Here goes nothing!"

Just as James found the remote control and activated the rockets, the young trainer jumped off the ledge of the Lighthouse toward the basket hanging from the Meowth balloon. Everyone on the lighthouse observation deck yelled out in fear for the young boy's life as he fell towards the balloon.

"ASH! NO!" Dawn yelled out to her friend.

Just as the thrusters engaged, the young energetic, brash, and objectively stupid trainer managed to reach the basket, but his hand slipped and he fell onto the Supper Ultra PokéVac Mark Three. At least managed to grab hold of it. The hot air balloon sped off from the lighthouse and Ash watched his friends shrink away from him with the wind rushing past his ears.

"I'll get them back! NO NEED TO WORRY!" Ash yelled back. He looked down and noticed that the only thing separating him from the ocean waves was a hundred meters of air. He fought back the urge to wretch at the sight.

"Alright. It's time to free everyone and get Pikachu back!" Ash muttered to himself as he slowly crawled his way towards the wiggling sack attached to the large vacuum.

"Oh no you don't!" James noticed that his steal was about to be stolen so he released his Carnivine to knock Ash off the vacuum. After a violent display of physical affection by Carnivine, James composed himself and ordered, "Enough, enough, Carnivine! Use Bullet Seed!"

"You nitwit!" Meowth deadpanned just as quickly as James ordered his attack. Meowth's face turned incredibly pale as he yelled to his partner in shock. "Da bag is only one hundred percent invincible, absolutely completely attack-proof on da _inside_! You'll cut it open!"

It was too late. Ash successfully sidestepped the Bullet Seed attack aimed for him and allowed it to pepper through the bag fabric beneath him. As Team Rocket's mouths all fell agape in disbelief and horror, Pikachu and the rest of Ash's Pokémon immediately bounced out of the bag onto the vacuum, hugging Ash in relief.

"You guys!" Ash smiled as he hugged Pikachu tightly. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

The howling wind off to the side brought him back to his senses as he realized that the ordeal wasn't over yet and that the he and his Pokémon were still one hundred vertical meters from solid ground.

Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, a shadowy, pitch black ball of energy collided with the rocket engine on the port side of Team Rocket's balloon and exploded. Once Ash regained his footing, he looked around for the source of the attack.

"What the heck? That looked like a Shadow Ball!"

Immediately, another dark sphere hit the other engine on the starboard side of Team Rocket's balloon. This time, Ash distinctly heard a voice, not audibly, but through his mind saying, _I will remember you always._

"Is that…?" Ash wondered out loud as the balloon started to lose altitude.

The same voice rang through Ash's head again. _Remember…_

"Guys, you have to get out of here!" Ash spoke as he realized what was about to happen. He needed to get everyone off of the hot air balloon—and fast.

"Monferno, jump on top of Gliscor and get to safety. Grotle, I want you to use the best Rock Climb you can and jump onto the shoreline. The sand should take care of your fall and you can take it. Staraptor, I want you to take this bag of Poké Balls and Pikachu to the shore."

Pikachu's ears perked up as he heard what his best friend was telling him to do—to leave him on the falling air balloon. Pikachu cried out in protest that he'd never leave Ash's side, but Ash shook his head and told Pikachu that everything was going to be okay. To trust him. He heard the voice again speaking in his head.

_If someday you hear my voice…_

"Pikachu, you have to leave. Now!" Ash shouted. Pikachu looked at Ash for one last time before finally jumping onto Staraptor's back. "I'll be fine! I'll make it! Take care buddy!"

Gliscor dutifully carried Monferno on her back away from the vacuum and successfully glided down towards the lighthouse. Grotle did as he was told and launched himself into the air with Rock Climb on a clean trajectory towards the soft sand. Staraptor reluctantly followed suit as he took the remaining sack of Poké Balls in his beak and Pikachu on his back and flapped his wings toward the lighthouse.

Knowing that his Pokémon were at least alright, Ash heaved a sigh of relief as he watched the final Shadow Ball fly towards the hot air balloon. Before the ball of dark spirited energy collided with the rest of the Meowth balloon, Ash leapt from the vacuum machine into the sea. As he closed his eyes, preparing for impact with the water, he heard the last bit of that familiar voice run through his head.

_If someday you hear my voice… know that it is my spirit, calling across time and space to yours._

Above him, the Shadow Ball successfully collided with the rest of the balloon and ignited the engine fuel. The great fireball sent the trio of Pokémon thieves on their usual flight path kilometers away while the shock wave sent Ash hurtling faster towards the ocean waves.

With his eyes closed, he braced for the impact that he was sure would come; the incredibly painful shock of the water followed by its chilling touch… but the sensations never came. Instead, Ash felt incredibly dizzy, as if he was about to throw up. The intense sound of the wind rushing past his ears faded into nothingness, his perception of free fall disappeared, and he couldn't feel his dark hair whipping around from the gale. His head ached with an intense pain as his vision became blacker and blacker. Just before he was sure he would die from the pain in his head, it all stopped. As soon as it started, the wooziness had abated.

Then in a flash like an epiphany, he regained all of his senses. Suddenly a sharp feeling jerked him wide awake. He no longer expected the waves of the ocean or the pain that would follow it. The anticipation left his mind entirely. Instead, he watched as the scenes that played before his eyes frightened him even more. He reached out his hand to grab his partner's as they fell from the sky into a gusting thunderstorm. He knew that he had to hold onto his friends hand as hard as he could, but he felt him slip away as the cyclone's winds forced them apart.

"Whoa! Wh-wh-whoa...!"

"Are... are you okay? No! Don't let go! Just a little longer... Come on! Hang on!"

It was no use. The storm was too powerful. "N-n-no! I can't... hold on...! Waaaaaaagh!"

In that moment, Ash knew he had lost his best friend.

**[23:50 P.M.] Cianwood City (Pokémon Center), Johto Region**

"It's not your fault May. You've done nothing wrong, and Drew had other plans in mind. You don't need to feel sorry about it!" Caroline tried to explain to her daughter. May certainly seemed less hysterical than when she first called, but she was still in a bad state of mind.

"Thanks, mom…" May replied. After she stopped her sniffing, she tried to put on the best smile that she could for the woman who helped her so much. Still, it was tough to even give her a small token of gratitude like that due to the circumstances.

"No biggie. I just want you to be happy and help you as much as I can. You've grown so much since you left home and you're thinking about other people like a young woman should. I am so proud of you!"

Caroline waited a little bit while her daughter wiped the rest of her tears away from her eyes. Now it was time to start moving on.

"So May, what are you going to do now?"

"Huh? What are you talking about, mom?"

"Well, you probably shouldn't follow that jerk to the Grand Festival, since it's just _not_ going to do either of you any good," Caroline sighed a little as she began listing off the possibilities. "You're always welcome to come home and stay with your mom, dad, and brother for a few weeks… but you're probably going to want to continue traveling again, don't you think?"

"Yeah, you're right," May looked from her mother down to her lap. "But mom, I don't want to go traveling all by myself again. It's just too much."

"I understand. Then maybe you should travel with someone you know! Why don't you call up Ash and see if you can travel with him again?"

Almost immediately, May jerked her head up to the video screen and started shaking her head and biting her lip.

"Why not?" Caroline asked.

"I don't know…" May spoke slowly, "The last time we met, he told me that we should follow our own dreams. I… I don't think he wants us to travel together."

**[21:39 P.M.] Lake Valor Resort (Ville de l'Amour Restaurant), Sinnoh Region – Six Months Ago**

"Oh, man! I am so stuffed!" Ash said as he patted his fattened belly with gleeful pleasure. "I haven't had food that awesome since I left Pallet Town!"

Dawn was not pleased. She chose the slightly fancier restaurant to elegantly celebrate the coming Wallace Cup Festival in the morning, but instead she had to deal with Ash's rude eating habits.

"Ash, how many times do I have to tell you that the butter knife is used for _butter_ and not for cutting the baguettes? And put that napkin _under _the table!"

"Besides, Ash! There's a guest with you! You should be more polite," May also added with a cocked eyebrow and a coy smirk. Nevertheless, she inwardly smiled, taking comfort that Ash didn't change much from the last time they sat down to eat dinner together.

Ash nervously scratched the back of his head instinctively, "Hey, hey, I'm sorry! I'm just not used to eating so fancy!"

Pikachu on the carpet simply shook his head as he cooed in delight with the gourmet dishes in front of him. Glaceon giggled softly next to him and similarly helped herself to some more food. Instead of regular Poké chow which was mostly nutritious, they were delivered full entrées.

"It can't be helped then. Since your dinner etiquette is so lacking there's only one way to make it all better," Dawn resolutely demanded, patting her mouth free of leftover food. "You cover the bill!"

"WHAT?"

"Come on, Brock!" Dawn cheerfully said, not even sparing the poor boy a last glance. "I need to find Zoey to train some more and I need a top notch referee!"

Brock smiled to himself in full agreement with Dawn and exited the restaurant with her, leaving Ash and May behind to finish up dinner. Ash watched dumbfounded, wide-eyed, and mouth agape while May couldn't help but cover her mouth to hide her laughter.

"Ash, you know it's rude to leave your mouth hanging open like that!"

"I have to pay the bill? Just because—man…!" He reached into his back pocket for his wallet, peered inside, and realized that he only just cut the tab. "Jeez. There goes the rest of my savings!" Ash lamented.

"You know, Ash, I've still a little hungry. Do you want any desert?" May asked. "You know you don't get many opportunities to eat food like this!"

Ash smiled and said, "I'd love some, but I'm all out of money…"

"Don't worry! I'll cover the desert. Contests always have nice prizes for the winners," May said with a smile. Soon enough, the waiter came back around to ask if there was anything else to order.

"And will that be all, mademoiselle?"

"Um, we'd like some desserts if that's alright?"

"Certainement. We have the Pear Belle-Hélène, Chocolate Mousse, Chocolate Profiteroles, and the Thin Apple Pie."

"How many do the Profiteroles serve?"

"Serves two, mademoiselle; port vous et le monsieur."

"Alright, we'll take the Chocolate Profiteroles then!"

"Absolutely. And… le chèque."

As the waiter walked away, carrying the expended plates with him, Ash looked over to May and asked, "What just happened?"

"Oh! We're getting a dessert for two, something like a vanilla sundae," May responded. "I hope that's okay with you?"

"Definitely!" Ash exclaimed. Almost habitually, he started patting his tummy in preparation.

"So Ash, how've you been? It's been so long since we last talked, just you and me!" May continued.

"I've been great! So far I've been going to gym battles, helping out Dawn with her contests as much as possible, and taking everything one step at a time."

"How is Dawn doing?"

"She's doing well! Dawn's already got two ribbons and she's trying to get this one too. It's been a little rough for her since she's on a two loss streak, but it's going to get better. We've been working with her nonstop!"

"I can't wait to see the results then!" May asked. "It's all in good fun, right?"

"Yeah, of course!" Ash answered enthusiastically. "Every morning I wake up and I just get pumped for what's up ahead. Really though, enough about me! How're things going for you?"

"Well…" May sighed a little, remembering how hard it was for her to keep a positive attitude on her own. While she was among friends she could let her feelings out, but those friends were hard to come by these days.

"To be honest Ash, it's been really difficult. After I lost my first contest, I started to wonder whether or not it's worth it to keep going."

"Really?" Ash asked, surprised at May's implied struggle. "Of course it's worth it! I mean, come on! It's your dream to be a top coordinator, isn't it?"

"Well it is, but sometimes I wish things were back to the way it was, back when I was competing in Hoenn and Kanto…" May sat back in her chair, looked up, and reminisced about all of the fun she had on her earlier journeys.

"I remember all those contests you cheered me on, the gym battles I helped you get through, even that time we had to stop Kyogre and Groudon from dueling each other! We've always had each other, and every day was exciting!"

"Yeah. I actually like to remember those times whenever it gets rough," Ash smiled at the memories. He paused for a bit, thinking how best to word what was on his mind. "You know… we were a good team. A _really _good team."

May looked at Ash once again.

"I wish I hadn't stopped traveling with you," May said, turning her head towards the napkin in her lap. It wasn't easy matching Ash's auburn eyes.

"May..." Ash said, taking a deep breath. "I think it was for the best that we split up."

"What?" May asked in shock. Those words pressed down like a large weight on her lungs and she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What are you talking about?"

"If you traveled with me... well, you couldn't compete in the Johto Grand Festival!" Ash spoke as tenderly as he could. "I mean, traveling with me would've slowed you down."

"Ash! Don't say that! Those were the best times I've ever had! I loved traveling with you!"

"So did I…" Ash said, looking back up at May. He paused for a bit, thought intently about those months past, but after a while his face lit up once again.

"Hey, we're not really that far apart, you know!" Ash said eagerly. "You'll always be with me, and I'll always be with you, no matter what!"

"Really?" May asked, anticipating Ash's unique profoundness. "How so, Ash?"

At that, Ash dug into his vest pocket and took out his half of the Terracotta Contest ribbon and showed it to May. She in turn grinned happily and brought out her own half to complete the small memento.

"Tell you what May. You and I are gonna have as much fun as we can and enjoy the time we have! I mean, we've only got a few days!" Ash smiled.

May returned the gesture with her own. "That sounds awesome, Ash!"

Unbeknownst to the two, the Chocolate Profiteroles rested on the table between them with glistening vanilla ice cream, oozing chocolate syrup, and two identical spoons beckoning the two Pokémon trainers to dig in. Glaceon and Pikachu finished their 'fancy feast', pounced into their respective trainers' laps, and promptly nuzzled in for a comfortable nap.

When they finally noticed two soft lumps resting in their laps, May and Ash stowed away their respective halves of the ribbon, took a spoon, and slowly ate away at the chocolate dessert, talking about old times, and enjoying their first night together in a long time.

**[00:15 A.M.] Cianwood City (Pokémon Center), Johto Region**

"May, to me it sounds like Ash misses you a lot," Caroline pressed. "You should call him!"

"Mom, are you sure?" May asked. "I don't even know if he's still the same Ash! What if he's changed?"

"May, you know that's not true," Caroline smiled, warming her daughter up to the idea. "Think back to all those times that you've stuck it out together. You know in your heart Ash wanted more than anything to keep traveling with you, but he didn't stop you from going to Johto because you were following your dream! He thought that letting you achieve your dream would make you happy. He cares a lot about you, you just don't realize it!"

May thought deeply for a few moments, recalling all of the times she and Ash had been together. Memories of Pikachu frying her bicycle on their first meeting, his encouragement to join the contest scene, receiving words of comfort after an embarrassing defeat with her Bulbasaur, watching the boat to Lilycove City drift away with Ash by her side, hopping between Frontier Brains along the Battle Frontier Circuit, all up until her final parting battle with him in Terracotta Town. The memories flooded back into May's mind like a gale, and with each passing thought, she realized that through it all she never once felt lonely or sad. Angry sure, when Ash complained about her taking too long to fix her hair, but through and through, she was happy.

That was so much more than she could say about herself right now.

"I think Ash would like to make more of those memories with you again May," Caroline reassuringly spoke, pushing May to the right decision. With that, Caroline smiled and let May think further.

As if drawn by instinct, May pulled out her contest ribbon case, clicked it open, and shifted it around until she found the frazzled half of the ribbon that complimented another half somewhere in the Sinnoh region. In that moment of clarity, May's path became light as day.

"Thanks, mom. You've been such a big help…" May said gratefully. "I know what I'm going to do."

Slowly but surely, the corners of her lips inched upwards into a smile, filled with warmth and hope for tomorrow. Ignoring all of the events that tormented her from just a few hours back, she let all of the memories she shared with Ash in Hoenn and Kanto fill its place.

"I'm going to travel with Ash again!"

Caroline gave her daughter the thumbs up, exchanged goodbyes with her, and hung up the phone. When the screen turned itself off, May took a deep breath, wiped her eyes clean of tears, and dialed for the Pokémon Center Operator of the Sinnoh region.

May was coming home at last.

* * *

_Dear Readers:_

Not much to say here, just grammar and time setting mistakes. It turns out I erroneously marked the time an hour later in all of the headings, so I corrected that. Hopefully the conversations are more realistic this time around. It turns out people don't actually speak so many words at once and they develop colloquialisms, grammatical quirks, and other shortcuts of that nature. It would be unwise to include those.

I just had a serious revelation which I may or may not embellish later. Pikachu gets the most treatment and the best treatment in all of Ash's crew, but I don't think it's solely because he's Ash's first Pokémon, or that they've been through thick and thin. I think that it's because Pikachu has come to symbolize more than just himself-the-electric-mouse; he embodies every Pokémon Ash has ever met or will ever meet. His undying affection for Pikachu is his way of showing Pokémon at large his emotions for them. Those are my thoughts anyway.

An example of edits:

Before:

_"Wait? What?" Those words pressed down on her like a large weight on her lungs. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What are you talking about?"_

After:

_"What?" May asked in shock. Those words pressed down like a large weight on her lungs and she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What are you talking about?"_

Thanks for reading as always!

* * *

_Story Note:_

N/A

* * *

_Author's Note:_

Uploaded, 03/11/11

| decided to finally merge MDII/may's weeping getting old/normal ash-may interaction/writing binge beginning |

original title, "Lone Star"

RE: edit. 09/07/11

RE: edit. 03/16/12

original title, "Lonely Star"

RE: edit. 01/12/13


	16. Neo Destiny

**Chapter Ten: Neo Destiny**

The sun had nearly set beyond the horizon of Sunyshore City, casting its final rays on the scenery, creating an orange hue throughout the landscape. The white sand on the eastern beach reflected this color and the waves seemed especially dark in contrast. Lying on the soft sand along the beaches was a boy, seemingly unconscious, his mind floating in and out of normal perception.

**[19:13 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Beach), Sinnoh Region**

"_Where… am I?_" Ash murmured to himself. His vision was completely blurred and his brain couldn't make out the scenes in front of him.

Concentrating harder, Ash made out a few landmarks like the lighthouse in the background, the cliff outcropping that it rested on, and the orange tinted white sand on the beach.

"_Who… is that?_" He asked himself, still groggy.

Ash noticed some sort of yellow figure running up to him, made out small black eyes and a lightning bolt shaped tail, but he couldn't define who it was. His vision quickly disintegrated. He felt a massive wave of dizziness as his sense perceptions disappeared in a flash, only to be replaced by a new set of images.

"_Urgh... where... where am I?_" Ash murmured again.

He felt himself passing out once more.

"_I can't... where..._"

When he blinked his eyes again, the scenes from before had completely changed; the lighthouse had disappeared, the rock outcropping had vanished, and before he passed out, Ash noticed bubbles floating in the air, reflecting the sunset behind him.

**[Late Afternoon] Treasure Town (Wigglytuff's Guild)**

A short walk away from the shore line, a small electric mouse paced back and forth before a large Wigglytuff tent, talking to himself. The massive flames issuing from the sentient torches to the side bathed the surrounding area in a violent red and yellow, casting the mouse's shadow in multiple directions.

"Hmm..." Pikachu sighed. "No, I refuse to be paralyzed by this any longer! This is it. I have to steel my courage today!"

As Pikachu moved towards the gate entrance, a voice yelled in alert, "Pokémon detected! Pokémon detected!"

Another belched out, "Whose footprint? Whose footprint?"

"The footprint is Pikachu's! The footprint is Pikachu's!"

"Waaah!" The electric mouse did a double take and backed away immediately. "That was too shocking!"

"I can't..." Pikachu confessed to himself, wiping the sweat off his cheeks. "I can't work up the courage to go in, after all. I told myself that this is the day..."

"I even thought that holding onto my personal treasure would inspire me!" The electric mouse took a small stone from his carrying pouch and stared at it.

After staring at the artifact in his hand for a little while, he let his head droop to the ground in surrender.

"I just can't do it... I'm such a coward. This is so discouraging…"

Pikachu stowed his treasure inside of the pouch he carried with him and walked away from the guild entrance. As he walked down the stairs of the guild, a duo of sinister-looking Pokémon schemed amongst each other and followed the mouse at a distance.

**[Late Afternoon] Treasure Town (Beach)**

"I hear something…" Ash murmured to himself. "I wonder what… what it is…"

Ash slowly woke up, hearing the waves crash behind him and feeling the heat of the sun on his back. Through his blurred vision he was able to make out some stout yellow figure quite a distance away from him. He couldn't make perfect sense of what it was saying, but Ash picked out a few words.

"What a pretty sight… the Krabby come out at sundown... it's always beautiful when I'm feeling sorry for myself... it cheers me up…!"

Ash tried to collect his senses, but he still had trouble concentrating. Suddenly, he heard the other voice turn in his direction.

"Hey... what's that?" The other Pokémon realized that something was on the beach. "Waah! Someone has collapsed on the sand!"

Pikachu ran over to the still carcass and gently nudged it to see if it was alright.

"What happened? Are you okay?"

Ash noticed the gentle gestures but couldn't say anything intelligent. Instead of talking, he tried moving. Slowly but surely, he got up onto his feet with an awful groan.

"Ugh..."

"You're awake! What a relief!" Pikachu backed away from the new guy to give him some personal space. "You weren't moving at all. I was seriously worried! Do you remember why you were all unconscious over there?"

"Where am I… I… I was unconscious?" Ash asked the yellow mouse. Somehow this Pokémon looked oddly familiar, but Ash couldn't put his finger on it. He noticed that the only thing this Pokémon carried was a small pouch slung around his shoulder.

_What happened?_ He wondered.

"Well, I'm Pikachu!" Pikachu seemed pretty nonchalant despite Ash's condition and introduced himself. "I mean, at least I am _a_ Pikachu. I never knew my parents so I don't really have a name. Glad to meet you! And who are you? I've never seen you around before."

Normally introductions like this wouldn't have bothered Ash, but something seemed strangely off-key. Suddenly, Ash realized what was happening. The Pokémon in front of him was talking!

"WHAT? How—how are you talking?" Ash belched out in surprise. "You're a Pokémon! Pokémon don't know how to talk!"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Now Pikachu was the one confused. "You're a Pokémon, and you're talking too!"

"You mean?" Ash thought this mouse was Golbat-dung crazy. "I think you mean what do _you_ mean? _I'm_ a human! Humans can talk! Pokémon can't!"

"What? Haha, you…" Pikachu scratched his head in confusion. "You're kidding right? You look like a totally normal Riolu to me!"

Ash waited a few moments to collect what this Pikachu was saying. He felt a cold shiver run down his spine as he remembered seeing blue paws in front of him when he stood up on the sand and feeling fur on his side when he brushed it off. Very cautiously he brought his right hand to his eye level to make sure it was his own, and suddenly it hit him—he brought up his _paw_. In a frantic fashion, Ash twirled around to check his entire body. Sure enough, it was the body of a Riolu.

"You _are_ kidding, right?" Pikachu on the other hand couldn't make out what was going on. The Pokémon in front of him kept dashing to and from as if he was having an upright seizure. "You're... a little odd... Are you pulling some kind of trick on me?"

"No! I'm not! I really am a human!" Ash retorted and stopped twirling around. Even as he spoke so, Ash realized how ridiculous it must be for this other Pokémon to trust him. "I know it's crazy… but you've got to believe me!"

"You're telling me the truth? Alright then...?" Pikachu awkwardly consented. "Well, what's your name?"

"Oh! My name, uh... it's Ash," he responded.

"Ash? Haha, that's a funny name!" Pikachu joked.

"Hey!" Ash exclaimed. "I just got here!"

"Well you don't seem to be a bad Pokémon at least," Pikachu smiled. "I'm sorry for doubting you, it's just that some aggressive Pokémon have been showing up and things have gotten a bit lawless—OW!"

The yellow mouse crashed into the sand after being tackled by some purple floating blob. Pikachu's pouch flew out of his hands onto the sand. Ash and Pikachu were so startled they barely saw who had entered into their midst.

"Well, I do beg your pardon," the Koffing sardonically apologized. Ash couldn't help but see through his bluff, and silently glared at the aggressor.

"HEY!" Pikachu sprung up off of the sand and yelled, "Why'd you do that?"

"He-he-he-he-heh! Well isn't it obvious? We're just messing with you!" The accomplice next to the Koffing chuckled in rhythm with his flapping wings. Hearing no reply, the Zubat jeered, "Oho! Too chicken to face us?"

"Wh-what?" Pikachu tensed up and burst into a cold sweat.

"Hey!" Ash threatened the duo. "Stay away from Pikachu!"

The Zubat gestured to the pouch. "That's yours isn't it?"

"Wha—no!" Pikachu tried to quickly lie about it. "That's...!"

"Sorry kiddo. We'll take that!" The Koffing said.

The Zubat quickly flew into the sand and stole the pouch away, as Pikachu watched on helplessly.

"Whoa-ho-ho!" The Koffing could only laugh and billow noxious gasses from his pores as he saw Pikachu freeze up in horror. "Not gonna make a move to get that back? What's the matter? Too scared? I didn't expect that you'd be such a coward! Come on, Bone, let's get out of here."

"You got it, Clyde. See you around, chicken! He-he-he-he-he!" taunted the Zubat, named Bone. The two thieves scurried off into the cave some distance behind Ash.

"Oh no..." Pikachu murmured, his knees starting to shake. "What am I going to do? That's my personal treasure. It means everything to me!"

"I-if I lose that...!" The electric mouse's knees gave way and he fell to the ground. His voice shook and his eyes started to water.

"Pikachu!" Ash yelled sharply at the electric Pokémon beside him. "Get a hold of yourself! That thing they stole is really important to you, isn't it?"

"I… of…" Pikachu looked at Ash. "Of course it is!"

"Then there's no time to waste!" Ash smiled to his new partner. "We're going to get it back!"

"You'll…" Pikachu's eyes widened as he realized that there was still hope for his artifact. "You'll help me?"

"Of course! Those bad guys are just thieves! If we work together, we can do this!"

"Th-thank you!" Pikachu's eyes lit up like gems. "Let's go!"

**[19:15 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Beach), Sinnoh Region**

"Come on, guys! I think I saw Ash wash up on the shoreline!" Dawn called out to the group.

She, like all of the rest, watched in pure horror as their best friend was carried away at blazing speeds on a jet-propelled hot-air balloon, subsequently blown up by phantom Ghost attacks, and finally fell a skyscraper's height into the sea below. Now they ran en-mass to the beach to help their friend.

"I hope Ash is alright, but I can't believe what I just saw! He must have fallen at least two hundred meters or more!" Lucian spoke.

"Pikachu probably already reached Ash by now," Brock pointed out. "So long as we find Pikachu, we'll find Ash."

"I'm worried if he'll make it. It looked like he wasn't in control of the fall, you know?" Flint mused. "I don't know if he hit the water at the right angle."

Cynthia didn't like what she was hearing at all. "There's no way that Ash would've given up so easily! I know he's alive!"

"Sorry man, I'm just saying..." Flint apologized. "But you know, something was really messed up with that explosion, you know?"

"I think you're right," Brock nodded in agreement. "Those Shadow Balls were not from us. Someone or something else launched those attacks."

"And there's something even stranger, if you noticed," Volkner chimed in. "Ash didn't look like he was accelerating when he was falling."

"Huh? What do you mean, Volkner?" Dawn asked, completely perplexed.

Even though everyone was beginning to feel the fatigue from running so far, they did not slow down. Of anything they quickened their pace. The gang continued as quickly as they could but now their attention was focused on Volkner instead of Ash's undetermined fate.

"I mean to say that his fall wasn't natural. When an ordinary object falls from the sky, its speed keeps increasing because the object accelerates towards the ground. Ash's speed didn't increase as he fell—he was physically slowed down."

Even though everyone kept moving, the light bulbs ignited over everyone's head. If what Volkner was saying was true, then it meant that Ash was definitely alive, especially because his fall was not as intense as it could be.

"Guys! I think I see Ash! And there's Pikachu with the rest of Ash's Pokémon!" Brock yelled out as the group of trainers reached the shoreline.

Sure enough, all of Ash's Pokémon had successfully evaded the exploding hot air balloon and subsequently surrounded their master on the beach. Pikachu was administering Ash a few nudges and taps to try to wake him up. It was apparent to the rodent that Ash was alive, but all the same, it wasn't enough for him. All of the rest of Ash's Pokémon waited in suspense to make sure that their master wasn't a goner.

Dawn, Brock, and the elite trainers all reached Ash as well, crowding around him in worry.

Brock turned Ash onto his back, brought his ear to Ash's chest, and checked his neck for a pulse. With each test, Brock's smile and became wider and his breathing became more composed.

"Good news guys! He is definitely alive, and he'll be coming to very soon!"

"Thank goodness! I was so worried!" Dawn cried out. "I don't know what I would've done if things didn't turn out okay!"

"Let's not celebrate too early guys," Cynthia spoke, wiping away the tears that were forming in her eyes. "We should get him back to the Pokémon Center and make sure that he gets better."

"Good thing Ash saved all of our Pokémon too. Thanks for your help, Staraptor," Brock complimented the Flying type. "I'll go ahead and recall all of Ash's Pokémon."

Staraptor nudged Brock to take the bag of Poké Balls from its beak, and after distributing the correct balls to their rightful owners, Brock recalled all of Ash's Pokémon except Pikachu.

"I'll carry Ash," said Flint.

"Bro, do you even lift?" Cynthia asked, giving him a cocked eye look of disbelief.

Flint replied with a smirk, "Watch me."

Cynthia rolled her eyes.

"Do you think he'll be ready for a gym battle tomorrow?" Volkner asked Brock.

"I think so, considering that he always gets over injuries really quickly," Brock replied.

"I think… the real question is," Flint asked while heaving Ash's damp body on his back. He turned back and taunted his old friend. "Are _you _ready for a gym battle tomorrow, Volkner?"

"You know, I haven't been this excited for a battle since I was named the Gym Leader of this city!" Volkner laughed out loud and smiled. "If Ash would risk is life to save his Pokémon, I can't _wait_ to see what he is capable of in battle! You guys make sure that he's ready, and feel free to come to my gym around two o'clock. I'll be ready!"

At that, Volkner waved everyone goodbye for the evening and walked off the beach in the direction of his electric gym. With Ash safely secured on Flint's back, the beach gang of Pokémon trainers rushed to the Pokémon Center to give Ash a much needed place to rest.

**[Late Afternoon] Beach Cave, Lv. B5**

"Pikachu, use your Thundershock to distract him, and I'll use Quick Attack!" Ash voiced to his partner.

"You got it, Ash!" Pikachu agreed. Using his tensed cheeks, Pikachu loosed a wave of electrons at the opponent Pokémon in front. "Hey! Over here!"

The pink variant Shellos fell for the trick and directed his attention toward Pikachu even though the Electric attack was neigh effective. It slimed its way as quickly as possible to ram Pikachu, but Ash was too quick for him. He jumped on top of a stalagmite and exploded into a Quick Attack towards the Shellos. The attack connected on his side and sent the Shellos into the wall behind him. After Shellos slowly got up, he moved as far away as possible, leaving Ash and Pikachu behind with smiles all around.

"Man, we're doing well, Ash! I don't know how I would've ever gotten through this cave without you!" Pikachu smiled.

"Hey, no problem!" Ash felt something warm rise up inside him as he heard Pikachu's praise. "I just want to help you get your treasure back."

Ash and Pikachu successfully navigated several floors of the Beach Cave, defeating a few minor opponents and sneaking past the more burly-looking ones, but after four floors of battle, the two Pokémon were getting very tired and hungry. The two thieves were not on any of the previous floors, so now the duo was descending further into the cave to flush them out.

"Pikachu, I think I see an exit over there! How many more floors to go?" Ash asked.

The electric mouse to his side stopped in his tracks and started to shake slightly. He realized that the next level was bound to have the two thieves who stole his treasure.

"The Beach Cave Pit is up next, Ash. This is it."

"Come on, Pikachu!" Ash similarly stopped in his place, but instead of getting nervous like his new partner, he became excited. 'Now is the time to show those bullies who's boss!"

"You're right," Pikachu slowly said, calming down and gradually breathing more easily. "This is no time to chicken out! If they're there, then so is my treasure. Let's go!"

Together, the two Pokémon exited the maze of Beach Cave and walked onto the sandy shore of the lowermost underground pit.

**[19:32 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Pokémon Center), Sinnoh Region**

The bizarre hospital scene unfolded rapidly as Brock, Dawn, Cynthia, Lucian, and an Ash-laden Flint burst into the Pokémon Center. Cynthia rushed to the front desk and Flint followed her, carrying Ash in a soggy, damp mess.

"Nurse Joy! Can you please get a stretcher for this boy? He fainted earlier and took a huge fall from a hot air balloon!" Cynthia asked.

"Oh my goodness!" Nurse Joy reacted quickly. "I'll call immediately. Blissey! I need an eight foot humanoid stretcher, stat!"

Within seconds, a plump Blissey rounded the corner of the care unit and provided a stretcher for Ash to lie in. Flint heaved Ash off of his shoulders carefully onto the mat, making sure not to contort his body in any way. When he was satisfied that Ash was properly placed, he backed away for the stretcher to move off.

"What happened?" Nurse Joy asked as Ash was carted away.

"I'll explain," Lucian offered. "A gang of Pokémon thieves stole all of our Pokémon using a hot air balloon, and we chased them down to the lighthouse. Ash, the boy who fell, jumped off of the lighthouse observation deck onto their balloon to disable it. He managed to pull it off, but the engine exploded and he fell to the sea. We retrieved him from the shore and now all we know is that he's alive and breathing."

"No way…" Nurse joy whispered to herself. "Well at any rate, human treatment is not my expertise, but I will do my best as always! Thank goodness his Buizel is the only other patient in my care that needs attention at this time."

Suddenly, a notification sound issued out of the nurse's computer. The nurse checked its contents and by the time she finished it, she looked like she was at a total loss of what to do.

"I'm sorry, Nurse Joy, but what's the matter?" Cynthia asked.

"It says here that the Video Phone Operator from Cianwood City is trying to locate a boy named Ash Ketchum as soon as possible," Nurse Joy replied.

Everyone in the group looked at each other, wondering how to respond.

"Did they say why?" Brock asked.

"Yes, they did," Nurse Joy said. "They said that a girl named May Maple wants to place a phone call to him. It's urgent."

Brock and Dawn glanced at each other and simultaneously became excited.

"Nurse Joy, Dawn and I are both traveling with Ash. I personally knew May a few months ago and traveled with her for a long time before she left for Johto. I could take the call in Ash's place and let him know when he wakes up," Brock offered.

"That would be perfect!" Nurse Joy exclaimed. "Go ahead and use video phone number three, in the middle of the wall on your left. I'll go and check on Ash to make sure he's stable."

At that, the two groups separated, with Nurse Joy headed towards the care unit and the trainers headed toward the videophone.

"If I'm not mistaken, May Maple is a famous Pokémon Coordinator, isn't she?" Lucian asked Dawn.

"Yep!" Dawn happily replied. "I met her once at the Wallace Cup and she's absolutely amazing. I used to watch many of her contest battles while I was still underage."

"She's also one of Ash's best friends. They used to cheer for each other whether it was Ash's gym battles or her contest battles. They were a great team," Brock added. He picked up the videophone and dialed in a zero for the operator. Soon enough, the operator responded and re-routed the phone call to Cianwood City.

While Brock and Dawn waited for the videophone to connect, Flint sent out his Infernape to use Flamethrower on himself for a flash dry. Cynthia tried to dissuade him, knowing that Flint probably wouldn't get the intended results and be completely incinerated instead. As Flint's Infernape loosed a Flamethrower upon his master, Cynthia covered her eyes and ducked while Lucian off to the side couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

"They also make a great team," Lucian said, not caring that he unintentionally said it out loud.

Back at the videophone, Cianwood City was successfully connected. Almost instantly after the connection was made, a seemingly bright girl in a green bandana appeared on the screen.

"Hey, Ash? It's me, May…! Wait, Brock?"

"Haha, hi, May!" Brock nervously laughed. "Sorry, Ash isn't here right now, but it's so great to see you!"

"Brock! It's been so long! And Dawn, hi! I'm sorry to drop in on such short notice, you guys," May apologized. "Where is Ash, anyway?"

"It's a really long story," Dawn chimed in from the side. "What about you? Is something wrong?"

"Um, I was hoping I could speak to Ash about this…" May hesitated.

"What, May? What's up?" Brock asked.

May initially seemed unwilling to speak what was on her mind, but the smiles that came through the video feed encouraged her to take a stand for herself. This was it, and afterwards there would be no turning back.

"The truth is…" May began. "I want to travel with you guys again!"

**[Late Afternoon] Beach Cave (Cave Pit)**

"There they are, Pikachu," Ash whispered to his partner.

"Ugh… I'm starting to get nervous…" Pikachu replied back softly. "What if they beat us up? Then I'll never get my treasure back!"

"Maybe so," Ash turned and smiled reassuringly. "But sitting here and not trying isn't going to get the job done either. I say, let's do it!"

From behind a large limestone boulder, Ash and Pikachu huddled together scheming about how to approach the two thieves, Bone and Clyde. The surrounding area was an elevated plane of moist sand with standing ocean water along the circumference as if it were low tide. Before the two Pokémon thieves unloaded their spoils onto the sand, Ash and Pikachu sprung up from behind the boulder and confronted the two thieves a short distance away.

"Hey!" Ash yelled to the Koffing and Zubat.

"Well, well... check it out Bone! If it isn't the big chicken!" taunted the floating purple blob of gas.

"Give me... give me back what you stole!" Pikachu nervously threatened. "That's my personal treasure! It means everything to me!"

"Treasure, you say?" Bone gleefully chuckled. His wings flapped even more rapidly as he speculated, "So that thing really is valuable, huh?"

"Whoa-ho-ho! I bet it's worth even more than I first thought!" Clyde exclaimed. Noxious fumes billowed from his pores as he also got even more excited. "Maybe we'll land a sweet price for it! All the more reason not to give it back!"

"What? No! Give it back!" Pikachu yelled.

"If you want it back that badly..." Bone started, elongating his teeth for combat.

"Come and get it!" Clyde finished. Fumes continued to issue out of his pores.

Already in a battle stance, Ash asked, "You ready, Pikachu?"

"Yeah!" Pikachu responded with a surge of sparks from his cheeks. "Let's beat these guys!"

At that, Ash and Pikachu charged the two thieves head on, disregarding the fact that they had only met a few moments ago, disregarding that one was a human and the other was a Pokémon, and only concentrating on the battle, ready to defeat the two thieves together.

**[19:59 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Pokémon Center), Sinnoh Region**

"Are you absolutely sure it's not going to be a problem? I mean, Ash isn't even awake yet!" May cried out, almost in protest.

Brock, Dawn, Lucian, Cynthia, and Flint, who finally recovered from the wayward Flamethrower, all crowded around the videophone to discuss the plans for tomorrow.

"May, come on. I think you know Ash pretty well, and you know that he'd be perfectly fine with it! Besides, it'll be awesome traveling with you again, don't you think?" Brock asked.

"I… I guess you're right. I'll be there in Sunyshore on the earliest cruise I can take!" May said.

"By the way, May," Cynthia entered. "What time will that cruise arrive here?"

"Um…" May stalled while looking at the cruise schedule nearby. "It should arrive by about noontime in Sinnoh."

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm gonna want some food by then," Cynthia stated.

"Haha, Ash will probably want some food, especially since it's before his battle against Volkner!" Dawn said.

"You know, I grew up here so I know all of the best restaurants," Flint said, taking this opportunity to show off his expertise. "Just leave it to me when you get here, May!

"What about the ice cream shops?" Cynthia slyly asked her professional companion. "You know I live off of double mint chocolate chip!"

"Of course!" Flint gave Cynthia the thumbs up. "There's even one right in the harbor! We're all set for tomorrow. I'm really excited to meet you, May!"

"Me too!" Cynthia exclaimed enthusiastically. "I love meeting people over some ice cream!"

"As am I, May," added Lucian. "Any friend of Ash is a friend of mine."

"May this is so awesome! I can't wait to see you again!" Dawn jittered out excitedly. "You know we have to catch up right?"

"We do Dawn, absolutely! Thanks everyone for your support!" May smiled widely after seeing everyone's faces light up at the new prospects for the morning. "I'll be sure to be on that cruise for Sunyshore City!"

"We'll make sure you can see us, May!" Brock said in a final, resolute manner. "Bye!"

"Bye, guys!" May waved.

At that, both parties hung up their videophones and started preparing. The Sinnoh side prepared for bed, whereas the Johto side prepared for the journey ahead. Conveniently, May's Pokémon were fully healed by the time May finished her call and Nurse Joy carted all of her Balls straight to her for pickup. After thanking her for her hard work, May stowed the Poké Balls safely in her fanny pack, gathered the rest of her stuff from the videophone booth, and promptly left the Pokémon Center. She didn't even look back for one second.

After purchasing her ticket, she watched the cruise fill up in the same port as Drew's cruise before her. The sun had set long ago and the sky was filled with only the brightness of night lights—a full moon. With a smile on her face and excitement in her heart, she walked onboard the ship, knowing full well that even though she may have been on the wrong path before, from now on, things would go a little differently.

"From now on, everything changes," May said to herself before retiring in her room.

**[Late Afternoon] Beach Cave (Cave Pit)**

"Pikachu, keep up the pressure!" Ash yelled, almost hoarse. The last right hook he gave to the Zubat was powerful, but sloppy, and his wrist started to ache. "We've almost got them!"

"Yeah—agh! This hurts! Let's try to finish this quickly!" Pikachu replied. He also sustained heavy damage from a Tackle attack earlier, and his cheeks stung from overuse.

After several intense moments of hit and run attacks, both parties were starting to reach their limits, especially Ash and Pikachu, who had already explored the Beach Cave nonstop.

"We need to finish them off in one shot! I just don't know if I can land any more long range attacks!" Pikachu said to Ash.

"I know, neither can I…" Ash nodded in agreement and clutched his wrist in his other hand. "But how are we gonna get them in one shot?"

Just as the two tried to discuss their plan of attack, a large noxious gas cloud covered the entire beach pit, and the surrounding atmosphere changed from clear to a nauseating brown-green. Adding to that, a piercing screech echoed off of the walls and resounded in both Ash and Pikachu's ears like mad.

"AGH! This noise is ridiculous!" Ash screamed as he tried to cover his ears. The sound waves bounced across the pit cave so violently that it rattled his eardrums from all directions.

"Ash, this is Screech! They're trying to make us drop our guard, but those bad guys should hear the echoes just as loudly!" Pikachu shouted over the noise.

"Oh, that's just great!" Ash shouted again, heavily laden with sarcasm. "Then how do we use it against them?"

Pikachu closed his eyes and covered his ears more tightly in order to think. A few seconds later, an idea popped in his head.

"Ash! Take out that Zubat! Knock him into his partner and I'll use a spark on the gas!"

"Nice, let's blow them up!" Ash said, liking the sound of that plan instead of staying tempered. "Hold on though, you won't be able to light the gas with just one spark. You'll need to cover it over a wide area!"

The two didn't have enough time to think their plan over as Bone and Clyde rushed them simultaneously. Clyde kept using Screech to deaden their ears while Bone attempted to Tackle Ash into the wall.

Pikachu retaliated by ramming Clyde with a Tackle attack of his own. As the Zubat fell to the ground, Pikachu's own momentum propelled him towards the water, where he splashed into the salty brine, looking out for Ash. Luckily, Ash managed to use his Quick Attack to speedily knock Bone also in the same direction. The two Poison types landed in the middle of the cave pit where the gas was densest and struggled to get up from exhaustion. Ash and Pikachu were safely behind a tall boulder and Pikachu got up in the standing sea water, using the same boulder as cover.

Immediately following his Quick Attack, Ash felt a rush of pain in his eyes as if they were trying to swell outside of their sockets. Soon enough, the pain vanished and Ash blinked his eyes several times over to neutralize the sensations. As soon as he stopped blinking his eyes and focused on the surroundings, he noticed his vision became sharper, enhanced, and every distinct body of matter became outlined, tagged, and identified.

"Hold on, Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed. As he turned his head towards his partner, an outline traced itself around the electric mouse, its pouches, the standing salt water around it, and the noxious gas outline above. Embedded between the outlines were glowing indicators that seemed to connect the differently outlined shapes. Ash noticed these indicators and realized that the glowing lines had something to do with Pikachu's cheeks, the water, and the gas.

It hit him.

"Pikachu!" Ash, said excitedly to the mouse. "Dive underwater and use Thundershock! The spark will course through the water like a ring and the electricity will make the gas explode!"

Instead of the plan hitting him like it did Ash, Pikachu dropped his ,jaw aghast.

"Are you out of your mind? If I use Thundershock to explode the gas, we'll be caught in the blast!"

Ash just smiled.

"Pikachu, you've got to trust me! I know this will work!"

Pikachu's eyes darted between Ash, the gas, the water, and the two thieves before coming back to Ash again. When Bone and Clyde made movements in order to get up, Pikachu screwed up his concentration and nodded. In one swift motion, Pikachu dove under the water, squeezed his cheeks, and let loose a stream of electric current.

"Thundershock!" Pikachu yelled under water.

Almost instantly, the surrounding water lit up in a brilliant yellow, sparks flew out of the water, the noxious gas ignited, and a rapid explosion enveloped the middle section of the cave in a brilliant display of red and orange. The force of the explosion sent a shockwave in all directions, rattling the ungrounded rocks, blowing sand violently towards the walls, and pushing Ash off of his feet into the water.

When the sand settled and the rubble fell to the ground, Bone and Clyde groaned to each other to make sure they were still there.

"Oww… Whoa-ho-ha, you alright, Bone?" groaned the Koffing.

"Yeah Clyde. How… how the heck did we get wiped out… by wimps like them?" moaned the Zubat.

Ash and Pikachu both got out of the standing water completely soaked and exhausted but willing to do whatever was necessary to finish this battle.

"Will you… please give me… hahhh—"Pikachu wheezed. "My treasure back?"

"Ugh... We got roughed up bad..." said Bone after getting up. He flapped his wings to get airborne then picked up the pouch with Pikachu's treasure inside. "Bah! Here you go. Take it!"

"Oho, but don't think you're all great for that," Clyde still managed to puff out one last taunt. "Your win was a fluke! Let's beat it, Clyde!"

"You got it, Bone!"

Once the two thieves bumbled their way out of the cave pit, Pikachu cautiously approached the dropped item on the sand and inspected it. He opened the pouch strings, peered inside, and looked back to Ash with a wide grin on his face.

"It's here! My treasure is still here!" Pikachu yelled out in celebration.

Once again, Ash felt a great warmth in his chest and suddenly the pain from his wrist and legs seemed to melt away. A sort of surreal feeling came over him like a wave of euphoria. It was a sense of accomplishment, a thrill, and a daring desire to continue the rapid pace. He felt empowered, alive, and above all, in amazing company. As Ash looked upon Pikachu, he remembered the once impetuous electric mouse and saw instead a fighter, a warrior, a champion. More importantly, Ash looked upon Pikachu and found a partner, a companion, a friend for life.

"Ash, are you alright? You're getting kinda spacy and weird…" Pikachu asked.

"Oh, sorry!" Ash perked up and directed his attention once again. "Gosh I'm really, really tired… but I'm glad we got your treasure back!"

"Me too!" Pikachu smiled once again and strung the pouch strings over his shoulder and came over to Ash. "I can't believe it, but we pulled it off!"

On these high notes and euphoric emotions, Ash and Pikachu grinned at each other, brought their firsts up, and bumped them together. After a good stretch and helping each other get on their feet, they headed toward the Beach Cave exit, smiling and laughing with each other over their first win as a team.

* * *

_Dear Readers:_

Luckily these edits were all cosmetic and the single hour time scale from previous chapters. _If anyone has a transcript of the entire Mystery Dungeon II games, send me a link! _It's really rough having to play that game as well as doing a transcription for it since I played it through three times already!

[Yes, I am most certainly working on this! Thanks to everyone for their reviews, especially the juicy long ones. Those make me smile extra widely. I got into several colleges so now I just have to worry about AP Bio and other misc. junk, but I have outlined this story for a good 10 chapters or more, so I am solid on this production. Maybe I'll even upload some of my extra stuff I've worked on before my hiatus. Thank you all again!] – 2 years ago

I do not own Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, its story, franchise, or games. The dialogue text is based off of game text in the US version of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Sky.

I based the two villains of this Mystery Dungeon II arc off of the historical robbers Bonne and Clyde . Bonne and Clyde were a romantic couple who robbed several banks, killed several police officers, and many civilians during the Great American Depression of the 1930's. Even though their legend and media lore depicted them as savage romantic thieves, in truth, their actual heists were more or less constrained to smaller banks and Bonne was never seen actually shooting an officer.

* * *

_Story Notes:_

N/A

* * *

_Author's Notes: _

Uploaded, 04/04/11

| successfully merged MDII with story/experiment in Pokémon nicknames/remembered to alternate perspectives |

original title, "Origins"

RE: edit. 09/08/11

RE: edit. 03/16/12

original title, "Origins of a Team"

RE: Edit. 01/20/13


	17. Great Encounters

** Chapter Eleven: Great Encounters**

Despite the fact that the duo of Ash and Pikachu traveled the same distance to the Beach Cave Pit as they did from it, the journey away from their last battle took much less time. Perhaps it was the euphoria of defeating thieves in a harrowing cave that was to blame, or maybe it was the great feeling of getting Pikachu's treasure back, but whatever the case, the two Pokémon traveled with smiles all around.

**[Sunset] Treasure Town (Beach)**

"Ahh… we finally made it outside!" Ash said out loud, stretching his limbs and basking in the sun. Ash and Pikachu made it outside just in time to witness a glowing orange sunse,t complete with the Krabbys' bubbles that Pikachu apparently loved so much.

"Yeah, I'm so glad I got my treasure back! It's all thanks to you, Ash!" Pikachu said. "Say, how the heck did you know how to strategize so quickly? You just looked at me and suddenly spit out the perfect plan!"

"I don't know," Ash replied. He had been wondering about the same thing since they left the Cave Pit. "I just remember a sharp pain going through my eyes, and then suddenly it all went away and I could see things more clearly—and everything was outlined with information around it…"

"Ash!" Pikachu exclaimed. "I think you learned Foresight!"

"Wait, what?" Ash wondered bewildered. "You mean I learned a new move?"

"Definitely!" Pikachu grinned. "That means you also leveled up!"

"Oh wow, so that's what leveling up feels like…" Ash let his muscles give out and fell to the sand in a satisfying heap. "This feels amazing! Being a Pokémon is great!"

"And thank goodness you are one!" Pikachu agreed. Suddenly he adopted a serious tone as he thanked Ash once again. "But really, Ash, you saved me back there. If you hadn't washed up on the beach unconscious like that, those guys would've run off with my treasure for sure!"

"No problem!" Ash smiled as his partner, feeling the warmth in his chest even more. "But honestly, I helped because I was right there… it wasn't anything too special."

"Maybe," Pikachu said as he sat next to Ash on the sand. "But still! Without your help, I don't know how on Earth I would have ever gotten my treasure back."

"Speaking of which, what is your treasure anyway? Why does it mean so much to you?" Ash asked.

"Oh! It's my Relic Fragment!"

"Relic Fragment?"

Pikachu motioned to sling the pouch off of his shoulder and opened its contents. Inside was a relatively small stone with a flat top half and a crystalized, almost mountain terrain-like bottom half.

"Here's what they stole. I call it my Relic Fragment, and it's my only treasure," Pikachu said, slowly turning the small stone in his hands, catching glimpses of it from every angle. "I've always liked legends and lore. I always get so excited when I hear tales about the past! Don't you feel the same way?"

Ash pondered about this thought. Yes, it was true that he had some kind of fascination about ancient knowledge, but he couldn't remember what legends in particular fascinated him. In fact, he realized that the only memories that he did possess were those after waking up on the beach and a few minor details. He only remembered his name, and the fact that he was human. No other memories existed. However, Ash let Pikachu continue, allowing for him to get jittery and excited.

"You know, hidden troves full of treasure and strange relics, uncharted territories veiled in darkness, and new lands just waiting to be discovered! Such places... I can only imagine what lies inside of them! All the gold, the treasures, and the history! Wouldn't it be amazing to make historic discoveries?"

Ash chuckled as he also imagined such places in his mind. He pictured a land hidden by clouds with caves and temples littered with gems and other precious objects.

"That's what I've always dreamed about. It's all exciting to me!" Pikachu said. "So one day I happened to come across my Relic Fragment. I admit that it looks like junk, but take a closer look. See? That inscription forms a strange pattern, doesn't it?"

Pikachu handed over his Relic fragment to Ash. Ash raised his back from the sand into a sitting position and shifted himself closer to the electric mouse. He took Pikachu's artifact to examine it, and when he did, he immediately noticed a white chalky inscription on the flat face of the stone. It resembled four wings in a curved rectangular manner.

"Wow, you're right!" Ash was amazed. "I've never seen a pattern like this!"

"There must be some significance to this pattern. This Relic Fragment must be the key to legendary places—to areas where precious treasures lay! At least I think so..." Pikachu reasoned.

Ash handed Pikachu back his treasure but all the while frowned at the magnitude of Pikachu's ambition.

"You know, at the rate you're going now, you probably won't find out what this treasure does; if it does anything at all…"

"That's why I want to join an exploration team!" Pikachu exclaimed. His eyes seemed to radiate in the orange light by the setting sun. His smile grew wider as he envisioned visiting the ruin where his artifact may have a home. "This fragment must fit into something somewhere! I want to discover where that is. I want to solve the mystery of my Relic Fragment!"

"Did you try to join an exploration team already?"

"I did earlier. I tried joining an exploration team as an apprentice at Wigglytuff's Guild, but..."

Ash turned his head and listened closer. "But what?"

Pikachu's ears drooped as he mumbled, "I chickened out."

"That may have happened before, you know what? You've gotten so much stronger—I've seen it!" Ash nodded in understanding but smiled at his partner saying, "You should definitely go back to the guild for training!"

"Maybe, but what about you, Ash? What are you going to do now?" Pikachu asked, really worried for his new partner. "If you really are a human, and you don't remember anything besides your name... do you have anywhere to go?"

Realization hit Ash like a rock. He was like a Magikarp out of water—like a Magikarp without Splash attack. He truly had no plan, no guide, and certainly no means of protecting himself.

"I... I guess I don't... What am I going to do?"

"Well, if you don't have any ideas, can I ask a big favor?" Pikachu timidly questioned.

"What do you have in mind? I'm up for anything, really," Ash replied.

"Would you be willing to form an exploration team with me?" Pikachu quickly gushed out.

"Really?" Ash was particularly perplexed. "I, uh… why an exploration team?"

"I just know that we can make a great team together, maybe even the best team the world has ever known!"

"Are you sure?" Ash asked hesitantly.

"Yeah! Why not? I mean before now I couldn't even get back my treasure back from those thieves. But when you came, I... I somehow got more courage to face my fears!" Pikachu said. With each sentence, Pikachu's thankfulness seemed to glow more like the light behind him.

"I know you just look like a Pokémon, but there's just something different about you... something that could really make this happen! I'm ready to do whatever it takes," Pikachu encouraged. "What do you say? I know that we'll be so awesome together! We're gonna be the best team ever! Will you? Please?"

"Well, I do have nowhere to go _and _I have no clues to point me anywhere—and I don't even know what an exploration team is… but hey!" Ash conceded. "Let's do this! Let's form an exploration team!"

"You will, really? You'll do it?"

"Yes. Yes I will!"

For a hair's width of a second, a glorious moment of history had been formed. The light of Pikachu's eyes changed from bright to dazzling. The warmth in Ash's chest transformed the glowing ember into a raging fire. The compact made between the two youths out of haste and spur of the moment transfigured into a bond for life.

"Oh my goodness, thank you so much! We're going to be totally awesome together! Let's make this happen! Maybe we'll even find out how you became a Pokémon in the first place!"

"I hope so, and maybe we'll figure out the mystery of your Relic Fragment! Let's do it!"

At that, both Pikachu and Ash bumped their fists again and laughed with each other.

"Well first we should go up to Wigglytuff's place and sign up as apprentices. That's where we need to train to become a first-rate exploration team. I'm sure the training will be very tough, but let's give it our best, Ash!"

**[23:43 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Pokémon Center), Sinnoh Region**

"Alright guys, I'm going to bed. I haven't gotten around to sleeping in late for a while now, right Piplup?"

"I shall go to bed as well. I can catch up on my reading in the morning."

"Goodnight then! I'll see you in the morning for some ice cream and a gym battle!"

"You guys are weird. Twelve o' clock is too early! My fro couldn't take the stress."

"Goodnight, everybody! I'll be here crushing berries in case Ash wakes up."

Everybody except Brock and Flint headed off into their Pokémon Center dormitories for the evening. Ash still wasn't awake, but Nurse Joy was confident that he was stable and would wake up before morning. Brock sat next to him creating new Pokémon food using some of the berries he picked on the way to Sunyshore. Ash was still lying on his stretcher placed conveniently next to Buizel so that they were in the same room. Pikachu settled next to Ash and was snoozing happily and occasionally muttering something that sounded like "pikapi" over and over in his sleep.

Flint couldn't help but smile to himself at the sight. Both Trainer and Pokémon were both laying down, resting in the Pokémon Center. Ash was indeed something else.

"Are you sure you're going to stay up until he wakes up?" Flint asked Brock.

"I'll keep busy until midnight," Brock replied. "Besides, I don't think we have anything to worry about anymore. He's breathing on his own and I see his eyes moving around randomly from time to time. I think he's just asleep and dreaming."

"Yeah, you're right," Flint agreed, sighing.

"Lemme guess, you're still thinking about _her_ right?" Brock noticed Flint's suddenly mellow nature and guessed what was going on.

"You're good, Brock," Flint said. "I just wish that there was something I could do… something totally not awkward. I mean right now, flirting is as far as it gets."

"Why don't you room with her for the night?" Brock suggested. "I mean, if Ash wakes up in the middle of the night, he may end up coming to our room anyway. Dawn, Lucian, and I are sleeping the room we've got but you never know if Ash will want the bed in there or not. There wouldn't be room for him."

"You've gotta be kidding me Brock! Wouldn't that be super weird?" Flint supposed incredulously. "Just envision it, 'Hey, Cynthia! How about you and I share a room together, huh?' I mean, she'll never say yes to that!"

Suddenly they heard a slight high-pitched cough coming from behind the ward door. When it opened, Brock and Flint's mouths both dropped to the floor.

"Actually, I was about to ask if you needed a bed to sleep in, if that's alright with you, Flint? You know, since Ash might room with Brock, Dawn, and Lucian right now," Cynthia asked.

Cynthia was dressed in a baby pink night gown with fluffy slippers and a night cap. Even in modesty, Cynthia's attire made Flint stammer and Croagunk immediately pop out of his ball to paralyze Brock.

"I-I… uh, yeah! Sure, I'd… yeah, that'd be great…" Flint managed to stumble out. "Goodnight, Brock!"

"Meh…" Brock managed to mumble while on the floor. After Croagunk had his chuckle and returned to his Poké Ball, Flint and Cynthia left the ward and Brock on the ground to recuperate. As soon as Brock finished lying on the ground, he slowly got back up onto the chair and checked the time. He saw it read five minutes to midnight and started to gather his belongings, ready to leave Ash to sleep on the stretcher. He scribbled a note explaining that May was arriving in Sunyshore the next morning, and got up to exit the ward.

As Brock was about to leave the room, Pikachu stirred and groggily looked up to see Brock leaving.

"Pi, pikachu?" he squeaked quietly.

"Oh, sorry to wake you, Pikachu!" Brock turned around and replied. "It's getting late, and I need some sleep. You'll keep watch over Ash for me right?"

Pikachu jerked himself more awake and nodded. "Pika!"

"Alright then," Brock smiled warmly and motioned to close the door. "Goodnight, Pikachu."

When Brock left the ward and the door clicked itself closed, Pikachu cautiously inched towards his friend. Tenderly making sure not to startle Ash, Pikachu nuzzled his head under Ash's right hand and cuddled next to him in that position, hoping that he'd at least wake up in the morning.

Almost as soon as Pikachu settled down into a comfortable position, Ash made a slight grunting noise as if about to wake up. Pikachu's ears perked up instantly and he moved towards Ash's face to see if he was definitely coming too. To his joy, he saw Ash's head loll to the side and back to center.

"Pikapi…"

**[Night] Treasure Town (Wigglytuff's Guild)**

After finally gathering up the courage to climb the ascent to Wigglytuff's Guild, Ash and Pikachu successfully got through the gate after an awkward evaluation by the Guild Security Team. The Guild Attendant Chatot similarly gave an awkward introduction, partly because he was so surprised to see such a young introduction into the Exploration Team community. After hastily changing his tune with the flap of his wing, he guided both Ash and Pikachu into the Guildmaster's office for registering. Wigglytuff gave the two of them the traditional quirky Guild induction, and with a signature "YOOM-TAH", they were signed up for exploration as Wigglytuff's Guild members, and given the complimentary Exploration Kit to get started.

Chatot graciously showed the new exploration team their dormitory, their temporary place to stay while training at the guild. Chatot left the two to settle down and get comfortable for the day ahead and returned back to the Guildmaster's Office. To his surprise, Chatot found his old friend and guildmaster Wigglytuff idly toss and turn a Big Apple instead of eating it.

"Guildmaster, are you alright?" Chatot tenderly asked.

"Yes, I'm quite alright..." Wigglytuff responded. "Somehow I feel a little worried about the new team."

"Team Pokédance, huh? " Chatot chirped. "They seem so energetic, though! I'm sure the Guild's training won't be too rough on them. They'll be fine. "

"Maybe…" Wigglytuff softly agreed. His head started drooping until suddenly he was completely still.

"Guildmaster?" Chatot sweat dropped at the prospect that the Guildmaster was having an episode. "Um… Guildmaster?"

Perhaps just as suddenly, the Wigglytuff jumped out of his seat and shouted a barking, "YOOM-TAH!" before getting back to his seat and throwing the Big Apple into the air.

"Of course they'll be fine! They're here at the guild after all!" Wigglytuff exclaimed happily, humming a cheerful tune to himself. The Big Apple fell neatly onto Wigglytuff's head where he promptly spun the Big Apple around like a balancing ball.

Chatot relaxed once he realized that his old partner was just getting excited. He too headed for his office for a good night's rest, but also to get the ringing sound of Wigglytuff's booming voice out of his ears.

**[Late Night] Treasure Town (Wigglytuff's Guild)**

When the moon had almost approached the apogee of its height in the sky, Ash and Pikachu had finally settled in for the night in Team Pokédance's new dormitory. However, Pikachu was hardly in the mood for resting.

"Are you still awake, Ash?"

"Yep," Ash replied. "I don't know if I'll ever get to sleep after what happened today."

"I know… my heart's been racing over everything! But you know, I'm really happy that I made myself come here. I thought Wigglytuff would be scary, but he turned out really nice and friendly. It's all thanks to you Ash!"

"No problem, Pikachu!" Ash said, smiling to himself. "By the way, I know we signed up to become an exploration team and all that, but what is an exploration team anyways?"

"Well, it's something like a group of Pokémon who go around different places doing jobs for Pokémon in need. They send the request to places like Wigglytuff's Guild, then they wait for exploration teams like us to get the job done. Besides just doing jobs, you're bound to go to places never before explored with ruins and really cool things!"

"So the Treasure Bag will hold our supplies and whatever treasure we'll find, and the Wonder Map will help us get to our destination," Ash reasoned, keeping in mind the contents of the Exploration Kit his team got a few moments earlier.

Pikachu laughed out loud, remembering the last gift inside the kit.

"You forgot the best part! We got an Explorer's Badge! You know what that does!"

"Yeah… it's proof that we're official explorers… Wow, I can't believe that this is really happening! I'm starting to get really excited!" Ash told his partner, but as he said so, he started yawning towards the end. "Ahh… Let's do our best tomorrow, Pikachu… goodnight…"

"You too, Ash…" Pikachu also yawned in his spot, did a wide stretching motion, and then curled into a sleeping ball. "Goodnight... and thank you..."

_You're welcome, Pikachu…_ thought Ash as he closed his eyes. _But still, I can't believe that this is happening to me. Who am I? Why am I here? I'm so confused… oh well, it's late… I'll just… go to… sleep… Pikachu…_

Ash felt himself drift off into peaceful slumber, but just as soon as he fell, he felt something on top of him poke at him in the side, gently, but insisting. He blinked his eyes open several times, but instead of seeing light like in the morning, all he saw was more night, somehow interrupted by beeping lights and whirring sounds of machines, and a large yellow creature standing over him.

_Huh? Who's nudging me? Is it morning already? It can't be… it's so dark—why am I in a stretcher? Is that… is that Pikachu?_

**[00:01 A.M.] Sunyshore City (Pokémon Center), Sinnoh Region**

Pikachu kept up the pressure and constantly prodded at Ash's carcass, hoping that it would eventually respond. After all, sitting and waiting was far too boring for the electric mouse now that Brock woke him up. Soon enough, Ash's eyes fluttered open. Slowly but surely he rose from his resting position and gathered his new sensations.

_I'm in a stretcher! There are machines around me, and—_ Ash suddenly checked his hand and torso. Sure enough, it wasn't blue anymore, the fur had vanished, and the only thing on his hands was a pair of fingerless gloves. _I'm a human again!_

_It must've been a dream,_ Ash thought. He clutched his chest and took a deep breath, feeling his lungs fill up with air and feeling his surroundings with all ten fingers. _But still… it seemed so real…_

"Pikapi!" Pikachu squeaked happily, alerting Ash to the creature who just woke him up.

"Hey, buddy!" Pikachu picked up his friend and gave him a warm, snuggly hug. "I just had the strangest dream… but how did I get here? What happened?"

Pikachu pulled out of Ash's embrace and suddenly darted to where Ash's hat lay off to his side. He grabbed it in his mouth, jumped off the stretcher, and beckoned Ash to follow him.

"Pehkah!" Pikachu called out in a muffled voice.

Ash laughed at Pikachu's game of chase. He quickly stuffed his shoes on and followed Pikachu out of the ward, through the deserted Pokémon Center hallway, and out of the automatic doors. As Pikachu ran towards the beach, Ash kept up with him, jogging at a leisurely pace on the sand. The soft sea breeze woke him up even more, its calm and soothing sent making him appreciate his existence in this world. Waves upon waves came crashing softly on the shoreline and the sand beneath Ash's feet felt comforting to him.

_In my dream, I was also on a beach, _Ash thought. _I wonder what that was all about…_

A little distance away from Ash, Pikachu stopped on the sand and held Ash's hat in his mouth for him to take. When Ash arrived, he graciously took his hat back, seated it on his hair once more and watched Pikachu point to the sand. He saw a lot of washed out footprints were surrounding a small depression, now filled with water from the high tide. At this point, the distinct outline of a body had been carved away, but clearly this was the spot where Ash's frame ended up, and his friends and Pokémon all crowded around him after he washed up on shore.

"You guys were right here, huh?" Ash said to himself. "Pikachu, thanks for taking such good care of me."

Pikachu gave Ash a customary, "Pika!" and smiled. He was just glad to have Ash back in the land of the living.

"Say Pikachu, what happened to me anyways?" Ash asked. "How did I pass out?"

Pikachu started acting out what had happened like a game of charades, making faces, imitations, and squeaking out a plethora of Pikachu talk. Ash kneeled down to get closer to the little guy and followed him with rapt attention. As Pikachu neared finishing the story, Ash withdrew in shock, hardly accepting that what had transpired actually did.

"So lemme get this straight… I fell from the balloon, somehow hit the water soft enough to not get injured, washed up on the shoreline, was carried to the Pokémon Center on Flint's back, and then woke up just now? Is that right?" Ash asked.

"Pika! Pika pika, pikachu!" Pikachu acknowledged.

"Wow…" Ash said, dumbfounded. He stood up and began apologizing. "Hey, I'm sorry for causing you guys so much worry! Although I really wonder about those Shadow Balls earlier! What slowed me down from that fall?

"Pika… pikachu?" Pikachu scratched his ears in thought but came up empty.

Ash brought his fingers up to his chin, rubbing them thoughtfully and stared intently at Pikachu, thinking about who was responsible. Nobody around him owned any Ghost type Pokémon, and he certainly didn't have a guardian angel looking after him. But at that moment Ash remembered the voice that rang in his head just before the fall. Suddenly it hit him. Only one Pokémon he'd ever met spoke those words to him.

"No way! Could it be?"

Out of nothing, a telepathic voice rung through Ash and Pikachu's minds.

"To be able to understand a Pokémon's speech and true emotions… you, child, are truly unique."

Ash and Pikachu looked around for the source of the voice they heard and they saw the silhouette of a capped figure on a tall rock outcropping that looked like an eroded part of the lighthouse cliff.

"Mewtwo…" Ash voiced out loud. "I don't know how I can repay you for saving me!"

"You already have repaid me—twice. It was the least I could do," Mewtwo replied. He walked on his two feet down from the rock outcropping and, using his psychokinetic abilities, hovered his way to the sandy ground. He stopped several feet away from Ash and Pikachu, as if approaching with reverence.

"I remember Mt. Quena…" Ash said with slight bewilderment at the Pokémon's words. "But I also remember you said something about us having met before that. Although, I guess I wouldn't remember anything about that, right?"

"No, you would not remember anything from that day. I made sure of that when I wiped your memory."

Ash looked puzzled when Mewtwo said that. Pikachu also didn't know to make heads or tails of that statement and climbed onto Ash's shoulder for good measure.

"You wiped my memory? But why?" Ash quizzically asked. "Why would you do that?"

"I wanted to erase all of the horrible crimes I committed on that day…" Mewtwo replied solemnly. He closed his eyes and continued in a somber tone. "I robbed you and your friends of your Pokémon, I cloned them without their consent, and I senselessly pitted my engineered army against the originals for my selfish purposes. After I realized what I had done, I erased your mind as well as those of your friends' in order to forget it all. Also, a terrible, terrible catastrophe happened. I couldn't let anyone remember it."

"You, you _cloned_ our Pokémon? I guess that explains what we saw at Mt. Quena," Ash reasoned. True, it was strange to see his own Pikachu mixed up with another identical looking Pikachu, but that didn't explain why Mewtwo decided to erase his memories. "I just can't imagine why you thought we had to forget our time together! What happened?"

"You sacrificed your life," Mewtwo said, as level as possible.

"What?" Ash asked. "Y-you mean I… that I… _died_?"

Mewtwo heavily sighed and closed his eyes. Pikachu did a double take at the news, wondering how often had his best friend come so close to death in his lifetime. The ensuing silence came between the two parties like a wall—a dividing wall that showed the difference in awareness of history.

"Yes, I erased the memories of you, your friends, and of your Pokémon so that they would be protected from knowing the horrors of that day," Mewtwo took in a deep breath and spoke softly. "They shouldn't know the pain that watching a loved one perish brings."

Ash was speechless, and Pikachu had his mouth slightly agape, remembering his encounter with another Pikachu, claiming to be his 'twin'. Now that Mewtwo mentioned it, Pikachu also remembered his 'twin' say that they had met before.

"Why would one give his own life away for another? Why should one throw everything they've worked away just for someone else?" Mewtwo asked rhetorically, bowing his head and closing his eyes in thought. "_Why_ did you risk your life for your Pokémon the first time? _Why did you risk your life to help me the second_?"

Ash felt overwhelmed by the amount of questions Mewtwo asked of him, but as he tried to come up with an answer, memories of Mt. Quena flooded his mind and he remembered how he felt when Mewtwo asked the same questions. He remembered shouldering most of Mewtwo's weight on the journey to Clarity Spring and feeling very strongly towards Mewtwo, like he was one of Ash's own Pokémon. Suddenly with that thought in mind, Ash knew exactly how to reply.

"It's because you're my friend, Mewtwo!" Ash replied. "I helped you because you're my friend!"

"I wonder…" Mewtwo smiled. "I wonder what this makes us."

"That makes me your friend," Ash smiled as well. "We're friends!"

A long, but meaningful silence filled the gap between Ash and Mewtwo, punctured only by the sounds of the waves crashing on the shore and the sea breeze softly rustling through the foliage behind the beach.

"Hm…" Mewtwo chuckled softly saying. "You know, at first I saved you just to return a favor."

"But now," Ash said, encouraging the Pokémon before him. "You helped me because I'm your friend. You saved my life, and you risked a lot to do so. That's gotta count for something."

"Friends, huh?" Mewtwo gazed at Ash for a long time, feeling a sense of warmth and belonging as he did so. After a short while he mused to himself. "What a strange, but wonderful feeling this is."

"Yeah…" Ash said.

Another long silence fell between the two parties, Pokémon and human, and yet it didn't matter to either of them. Both felt extremely content, and above all, at peace. Mewtwo found a new purpose in the wake of this revelation.

"I think I will remain here," Mewtwo began. "For years I have wandered the land looking for a suitable place, but none have ever brought me as much fulfillment as this city has."

"I'm really happy for you, Mewtwo! I know you'll do well here."

"Perhaps it was fate that brought us here, even now. I only arrived in this city a few short days ago. Otherwise, I may not have even been here to slow down your fall."

"Wait a second!" Ash exclaimed, remembering what had happened after the Team Rocket balloon exploded. "Mewtwo, when you slowed me down, I got really dizzy and blacked out before I hit the water. Would you know anything about that?"

"No, psychokinetic techniques performed on a human usually do not induce dizziness," Mewtwo said, puzzled by these events. "Psychosis-inducing techniques like Confusion our Psywave may produce those effects, but I did not use any of those attacks to slow your fall."

"Really?" Ash asked. "As soon as I started falling, I got really dizzy and then I started dreaming! Somehow all I knew was that I was caught in a thunderstorm at sea, but it didn't feel like a dream. It felt like it really happened."

"It's possible…" Mewtwo began. "It's possible that I've unlocked forgotten memories by accident."

"Huh?" Ash asked. "What do you mean by forgotten memories?"

"For example, when I wiped your memory of our first encounter, that memory did not actually vanish from your mind," Mewtwo explained. He brought up his right hand to symbolize the memory and mimed a large space to represent Ash's mind using the left hand.

"If my left hand shows the part of the mind that's conscious of what's going on, then a forgotten memory is where my right hand is, in a separate area of the mind that the person is unaware of."

"So…" Ash stated. "You're saying that I have memories that I have no idea about?"

"Yes. That is correct," Mewtwo affirmed. "Usually these memories do not reconnect to the conscious mind on their own. However, a powerful psychokinetic technique like my Psychic may have caused these memories to leak back into your consciousness, and they are now manifest in the form of dreams and visions. It's possible that a Psychic attack may unlock other abilities even paranormal for humans. Your dizziness may even be caused by one of those abilities, and perhaps that's the reason that the memories were unlocked."

"That's so bizarre… so you're also saying that my dreams that I had after falling from the balloon may have actually happened? Also, you're saying that my dizziness is linked to some kind of hidden ability?"

"It's possible. There's no guarantee."

Ash stood rooted to his spot in silence, shocked at these revelations. Although none of his immediate friends knew what the dreams contained, the mere thought that these _particular dreams _were even possibly reality was frightening to Ash, but also exciting.

"Regardless, it's probably only because you are so unique that these memories were unlocked," Mewtwo mused.

"What?" Ash snapped out of his thoughts. "What do you mean?"

"Perhaps you were specifically gifted with this ability that I unintentionally unlocked. I've never met such a compassionate human, a human so determined to fight for the sake of Pokémon before. You truly are special. Perhaps your strange dreams of transformation truly did happen."

"Wait! How'd you know I dreamed that I was a Pokémon?" Ash belched out. "I didn't say anything about that!"

"You underestimate my powers, child," Mewtwo jokingly taunted. He smiled at the thought that back when he first said that he spoke with malice, but now, he spoke entirely with good spirit.

Ash laughed when he fully realized exactly who he was dealing with and that the secret was out of the bag. Pikachu nudged Ash's head to get some more info on these so-called dreams, but Ash just petted Pikachu to soothe him.

"I'll explain later buddy, it's a long story," Ash chuckled, embarrassed he hadn't told his starter anything earlier.

"I should depart from you, child. I've been in the open for too long," Mewtwo warned. "And you need rest. Your superior seems to have something in mind for you tomorrow."

"Cynthia?" Wondered Ash out loud. "I guess I'll just find out tomorrow then. Let's go back to the Pokémon Center, Pikachu! And thanks again, Mew–"

Without a parting word, Mewtwo teleported out of sight. Even though he was surprised not to find him, Ash smiled and walked back to the Pokémon Center feeling excited for tomorrow's gym battle, and even more grateful that he had such good friends in mysterious, high places. When Ash finally reached the Pokémon Center and the automatic doors completely closed behind him, Mewtwo repositioned himself on his favorite high-rising lightning rod needle, looking over the streetlight city in the middle of the night. The full moon was out.

"My friend, I will remember you always. Ash…"

* * *

_Dear Readers:_

I changed the original 'Team Dimension' into Team Pokédance, a name that came up in the Japanese anime adaptation of the MDII introduction. It's not my personal choice of course, sounds a little childish, but I do like to respect the "default" names as much as possible.

Yeah, I said full moon three chapters ago so I had to edit the new moon. I've changed some words around like the articles so that it reads much more fluently, but beyond that, not too many other updates.

* * *

_Story Notes:_

N/A

* * *

_Author's Notes: _

Uploaded, 04/08/11

| continuation of MDII/intent on Mewtwo/dream truly happened/will require alternate universe/drafting full diagrams now |

original title, "Gratitude"

RE: edit. 09/10/11

RE: edit. 03/16/12

original title, "Great Gratitude"

RE: edit. 01/26/13


	18. Majestic Dawn

**Chapter Twelve: Majestic Dawn**

Considering the absolute chaos of the day before, everyone awoke with a rejuvenating and restful sleep, especially Ash, who was currently having trouble getting out of bed.

**[10:10 A.M.] Sunyshore City (Pokémon Center), Sinnoh Region**

"Ash! WAKE UP!" Dawn yelled in his ear. The latter knew it was in good spirit, but he wasn't thrilled about waking up to two ringing ear drums.

"Meh…" Ash mumbled. "Five more minutes…"

"Man, you are _hopeless_!" Dawn sighed and decided to use the reasoning route. "Did you already forget that May was coming today?"

"Woah! I almost did!" Ash immediately sprung out of his bunk bed and rapidly dashed into the shower. Fortunately, Dawn, Brock, and Lucian had already used the shower hours earlier and were already in the Pokémon Center lobby, eating breakfast.

Dawn mentally slapped herself for not thinking of pulling the May's-on-her-way card sooner. Instead of dwelling on Ash's simple-mindedness, she just smiled and gently nudged Pikachu awake.

"Good morning, Pikachu!" Dawn said brightly. Pikachu's ears perked up swiftly and he stood up in a grand stretch.

"Cha…!"

"Do you want some breakfast, Pikachu?"

"Pika!"

"Alright then, make sure you bring Ash down too! We'll have something ready for the both of you. We need to meet May at noontime!" Dawn instructed.

Pikachu gave the affirmative "Pi! Pikachu!" and stood vigilant watch on Ash's bed. Seeing that Ash was in solid hands, Dawn left the room and was about close the door, but something stopped her short.

"Buizel! I'm so glad you're up already!" Dawn squealed in delight. She kneeled down in front of Buizel and gave him a warm hug. "I was really worried about you yesterday, but you did an awesome job. I'm so proud of you!"

"Bui!" Buizel laughed and smiled widely. "Bu bui!"

"Remember to bring Ash down with you, okay?" Dawn carefully put Buizel back on the ground and let him through the room door before closing it.

At that, she left the two Pokémon, Pikachu and Buizel, to themselves in Ash's room, waiting for their trainer to finish up his shower.

Buizel came over to Ash's bed where Pikachu was sitting and greeted him with a warm smile and a fist bump. Pikachu gladly returned it and offered Buizel a seat next to him. The two began to talk animatedly in Pokémon tongue about the day ahead. In Pikachu's case, the events that happened to Ash the day before were in the front of his mind.

"Oh man…" Buizel sighed as he let himself fall onto the bed sheets. "I can't wait for the gym battle today! I'll be sure to blow everyone out of the water!"

"Haha, I know you will, Buizel, but you know something?"

"Yeah?" Buizel raised his eyebrows a little bit. "What?"

"It's an electric type gym," Pikachu said, smiling with a devilish grin. "Watch your back."

"You lightning types are no big deal," Buizel returned Pikachu's grin with a confident smirk of his own. "Watch and learn, buddy. Watch and learn."

"Alright, just don't say anything when your moves are all sizzled out and shocked away!" Pikachu warned Buizel.

"Yeah, whatever you say man," Buizel winked. "Say, what the heck is everyone blabbing about downstairs? All I heard was that somehow Ash blacked out last night."

"Ohh… it was awful. Too bad you were asleep!"

"Hey, I polished off an Elite Four member and nearly snapped my neck doing it! I deserved some sleep after that!"

"True, but you didn't watch Ash fall a few hundred meters from an air balloon," Pikachu said in response, slightly stung. "We didn't know what we were going to do when we found him washed up on shore completely limp…"

"I, I'm sorry, Pikachu," Buizel took back his attacking tone. "I didn't realize that happened. What were the circumstances?"

"Well," Pikachu began. "It was something like Team Rocket abducted us all using a vacuum and nearly got away, but Ash and the rest of his friends intercepted the balloon at the lighthouse out back. Ash decided to jump off of the lighthouse ledge onto Team Rocket's balloon to try and break us out of there."

"Well, what do you expect?" Buizel smiled to himself and sat up straighter to hear more of the story. "Our trainer is freaking awesome! He's probably the coolest human who ever walked the earth!"

"Yeah, you're right Buizel! I'm just glad he's alright," Pikachu perked up and laughed. "But to make a long story short, when he finally freed us, some strange Shadow Ball attacks hit the engines, igniting the fuel, and Ash fell to the sea while the rest of us escaped."

"Typical Ash. Wait… what the heck? Where did those Shadow Ball attacks come from? We don't have any Ghost Pokémon near us, do we?"

"It's a long story, but yeah, I expect he'll explain more about what really happened to all of us when he's done with breakfast. Apparently he also had some really strange dreams while he was knocked out."

Instead of Pikachu, this time Buizel had a devilish grin on his face.

"What?" Pikachu asked.

"Ash is a badass," Buizel said.

Pikachu rolled his eyes and grinned just as the bathroom door started to open.

**[11:35 A.M.] Sunyshore City (20 km Offshore)**

"Gosh, I got here in such a hurry that I didn't buy anything for them…" May said to herself. She sat in her cruise room with the rest of her Pokémon all sprawled around the room. Her temporary suitemate had already left to reach the exit early, so May had the entire room to herself for the next half hour or so.

Most of May's Pokémon were outside on the balcony. Blaziken was staring at the sun absorbing all of its rays, Wartortle longingly looking at the sea, Beautifly perched on the handrails, and Munchlax snoozed in the relaxing setting. Glaceon and Venusaur were inside the room, with the former curled in the cool shade under a faux plant and the latter lounging around on the floor.

May suddenly got up and told her team that she was going to the bathroom to get everything ready. Most everyone responded affirmatively, giving the cue for May to go about her work. She left her bed, entered the bathroom, and closed the door.

No one said anything as soon as she was in the bathroom, but suddenly Munchlax's stomach made a horrendous growling noise forcing him awake.

"Ohhh… my tummy hurts…"

"Jeez! Have some decency, you know?" Blaziken said shaking her head, turning her attention towards the little glutton next to her on the balcony floor. "We're all girls here! Try to be a little more polite? Plus, you probably shouldn't have eaten so much anyway."

"Maybe…" After a solid burp that lasted for three seconds, Munchlax patted his tummy and smiled in satisfaction. "But that chocolate fudge Sunday really hit the spot! I wonder what's for lunch today!"

"Weren't you paying any attention to May?" Wartortle said, subconsciously smacking her lips at the thought of that fudge. Although she would never admit it, she also loved food excessively. "She said this is the place in Sinnoh where they serve food to Pokémon and humans. I'm so excited!"

"I don't really care much about the food. I'm just really excited to see Ash!" Beautifly squealed out.

"Hmm?" Blaziken asked with a cocked eyebrow. "What makes you want to see him so badly? He's kindof a klutz."

"Have you ever perched on his head?" Beautifly giggled. "It's so comfy! I know why Pikachu does it so often!"

"I'll pass," Blaziken chuckled. "Besides, I'm looking more forward to see Ash's Pokémon."

"Care to elaborate, Blaziken?" Venusaur yawned and ruffled the leafy greens on her back. "I wonder how Bulbasaur is doing. I just hope he doesn't think too badly of me, you know?"

"I know what you mean," Wartortle added. "I wonder what Ash's Squirtle thinks about me? I never got to ask him."

"But you don't have feelings for him or anything!" Venusaur retaliated. "It's so much different when I wonder about Bulbasaur! He was so sweet and kind to me when I was with him, but now, there's no way we could ever be together!"

"Hey, I'm sorry! I didn't mean it that way…" Wartortle apologized.

"What about you, Blaziken?" Beautifly asked, trying to break the ice. "Who're you after?"

The entire group went very silent, especially knowing Blaziken's hot temper. However, even Beautifly's tactless question didn't flare her up. This time she was melancholy, almost feeble.

"Sceptile…" Blaziken replied sheepishly.

Suddenly the entire room burst out laughing. Wartortle nearly fell off the handrail, Munchlax belched a mighty burp, Venusaur couldn't help but bounce the tree on her back in laughter, Beautifly's proboscis kept curling up and lashing out in giggles, and even Glaceon abruptly woke up, apparently in the middle of a dream.

"Wha…" Glaceon groggily asked. "Whasgoinon…"

"Haha! Blaziken likes Sceptile! Blaziken likes Sceptile!" Venusaur chanted in song.

"It's not funny!" Blaziken shouted in her defense. "I really do like him! He's cool, skilled, and really attractive!"

"Maybe …" Glaceon yawned out loudly as she arched her back in a stretch. "But he's also a real jerk."

"Hey…" Blaziken looked down in embarrassment and humiliation. "He's not that bad… right?"

"Whatever, Blaziken!" Glaceon taunted with a coy smile. "Good luck with that guy!"

A few more moments of harassing laughter continued and Blaziken felt even more defeated. Eventually she turned away from everybody and looked longingly towards the sea, thinking about the hard-headed grass type.

"Blaziken, it could be a lot worse, you know!" Beautifly said, trying to cheer her Fire-type friend up.

"How?" Blaziken asked, turning her head slightly.

"You could be madly in love with Pikachu!" Beautifly squealed.

Once again, the entire room of Pokémon broke into laughter, even Blaziken. However, Glaceon, instead of enthusiastically bawling in giggles, could only muster a few chuckles before looking down toward the ground for some reason.

After a few more moments of good laughs amongst the Pokémon, May came out of the bathroom completely prepared for landfall. She called everyone back into their respective Poké Balls except for Blaziken, her first Pokémon, and Beautifly, the team scout. She gathered the rest of her belongings from the room, gave it one good glance, and closed the door, finishing her Johto contest campaign for good.

**[11:20 A.M.] Sunyshore City (Automated Route A115 to Seaport), Sinnoh Region**

"So let me get this straight, Pikachu. You're telling me that Ash didn't actually free fall?" Staraptor asked, particularly surprised because he was the team's aerial specialist. From his experience, he knew that humans don't have any ability to slow their own airspeed whilst falling.

The group of trainers had completely finished their breakfast and walked towards the Sunyshore dock on the automated, electronically driven walkways. Ash let his Pokémon outside for some fresh air before the big gym battle. While the entire entourage remained in place on the automated walkway toward the port, Ash's Pokémon discussed the information that their trainer revealed at the breakfast table.

Both trainers and Pokémon stood on a moving walkway among many others. Similar to the one they were standing on, the other walkways had different colors and arrows pointing in different directions. Currently, the entire group was standing on the light baby-blue walkway, headed toward the ocean, headed opposite of the green walkway on their left which was headed toward the city.

"Yeah, it turns out he didn't really fall. He was slowed down by a Psychic attack just before he hit the water," Pikachu responded.

"Alright, so let's say he was slowed down by someone. Who was it? I know it hurt really badly when I hit the ground, and I landed on the sand!" Grotle mused. "It had to have been a really powerful attack."

Pikachu was at a partial loss for words. It wasn't particularly easy to talk about a Pokémon that was both extremely powerful, but more importantly a Pokémon completely unknown to the recorded world. Nevertheless, the likelihood of this particular being showing up in the nearby future was fairly likely, so a quick summary was in order.

"It's really hard to explain… let's see, last night we saw a Pokémon with extremely powerful Psychic powers, a Pokémon I remember meeting in the Johto region."

"What was his name?" Buizel asked.

"Mewtwo. But other than that, I don't know that much about him," Pikachu confessed. "He said we've met him once before, years ago, but he erased our memories to forget about him that time. The last time we saw him was at Mt. Quena, and Team Rocket nearly captured us all just to get to him. Somehow he took them out all by himself… it was incredible."

"He sounds like a really mysterious guy! I'd love to meet him!" Gliscor added.

"I'm sure we'll meet him again someday," Pikachu said. As he assured his friends, the color of the walkway turned a slightly darker shade into a more solid blue hue.

"You know, it's all good and nice that Ash didn't have to take that heavy fall, but I'm more concerned now with his mental state," Monferno mused. Why did the dream he had put him in such a coma-like state? How did he even get the dream? What was the dream about?"

"About that, the strangest thing that Mewtwo said is that the Psychic attack he used on Ash may have actually triggered the dreams he had," Pikachu responded.

"But didn't you also say that Mewtwo suggested the dreams could've been real?" Staraptor asked. "That's absolutely crazy! There's no way Ash could've actually done the things he did in his dreams, right?"

"Actually, I disagree," Grotle countered. "My dreams are usually leftover information from the past experiences all mixed together at night. I'm sure humans go through the same thing, and there's no way that Ash would've experienced that dream unless he actually went through anything like it! The fact that he had no prior experiences in real life like the ones in his dream may actually prove that the dream is real! In other words, there's no way he would've imagined something like that so vividly on his own. But I do agree that it's way, way, _way_ too bizarre for a human."

"Well, from what I understood, Ash had some kind of a dream where he turned into a Pokémon and ended up working with another Pokémon to find his missing treasure. Forgetting about the whole transformed-into-a-Pokémon thing, helping others to find their belonging sounds like something Ash would do, right?" Gliscor recapped.

"Not only that, but he ended up joining some kind of 'rescue team'. What is that anyways?" Staraptor asked.

"I heard about them back when I was running away from home," Buizel said. "One time I sat with a traveling group of Pokémon and heard a story about them."

Surprise seemed to reverberate throughout the entire group.

"You ran away from home?" Staraptor yelped.

"You never told us that! Why would you do that?" Gliscor asked completely in shock.

"You guys never asked!" Buizel said in his defense, surprised at everyone's reaction. "Besides, isn't it Ash's dream that's important right now?"

"Oh alright, what's a rescue team? Just make sure you tell us about yourself sometime later, alright?" Gliscor pressed.

"Deal," Buizel consented. "One day, I met a caravan of Pokémon on their way to the next forest. There was an Ursaring in that group and he was telling stories of some Scizor who lived over five thousand years ago. Apparently this Pokémon had a whole team of Pokémon whose sole task was to rescue Pokémon trapped in mysterious caves or to capture high risk fugitives. According to the story, this Scizor from the legends was the best explorer the world had ever seen."

"Wow... that's incredible, Buizel! Imagine if such Pokémon existed today!" Grotle exclaimed.

"But that's the thing. When Scizor disappeared, rescue teams stopped what they were doing and vanished," Buizel explained.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Pikachu asked.

"From what I understood, Scizor had gone alone to the Spear Pillar atop Mr. Coronet to investigate something. Somehow there were these humans who tried to capture the 'ultimate Pokémon' at Spear Pillar. Ursaring said these Pokémon were truly gods among gods."

"You're kidding me! Who would be stupid enough to try that?" Monferno asked, aghast at the idea.

"I have no clue, but all I know is that those humans wanted to control something terrible, I'm not really sure what that something was," Buizel said. "The point is that because those humans up to no good, the legendary Pokémon were suffering and somehow the universe was getting disrupted, so Scizor went to find out if he could stop it. According to the legend, Scizor became caught in the battle and was frozen in time forever. He vanished. Others followed his path to try to recover him, but no one ever returned. Some say Scizor died, others say that he was frozen in time. I'm prone to believe the latter."

"You're kidding me!" Gliscor mused. "Just imagine what it was like to be at Mt. Coronet at that moment! At least in Scizor's position anyway."

"I wouldn't want to," Pikachu said in a serious tone. As if reciprocating his change of voice, the walkway turned yet another shade darker into a dark blue hue.

"What do you mean?" Gliscor wondered why Pikachu, the most adventurous Pokémon on Ash's team, wouldn't want to imagine an encounter with these powerful creatures. "Wouldn't it be great to know what those Pokémon are like?"

"No, it's not that," Pikachu answered. "It's that I already have seen what such a Pokémon could do, and I don't like the sound of others getting hurt by their power. Buizel, you remember Alamos right?"

"Yeah," Buizel nodded. "That's why I think this legend of Scizor and all of those Pokémon who followed him is actually true; that they really vanished away, frozen in time forever."

"You know, I wasn't quite there at Alamos Town, Buizel!" Monferno asked slightly annoyed at the ignorance. "What happened there?"

"Same here! Buizel, please? I know we don't have that much time left before we get to meet May, but could you enlighten us anyway?" Gliscor also added. Staraptor also nodded in agreement with his comrades.

"That's right! Sorry, Monferno and Gliscor! We should probably bring you guys up to speed, right?" Grotle suggested.

Buizel's eyes wandered off to meet Pikachu who motioned for him to go ahead with the explanation. The electric mouse knew just as much as the water weasel did about the incident, and both knew that explaining the sheer power of legendary Pokémon hailed as gods is never a simple task.

"Grotle, why don't you give them a brief synopsis?" Buizel motioned.

"I'll do that then," Grotle complied. "In Alamos Town, we were trapped in some kind of alternate dimension. Dialga and Palkia, two legendary Pokémon hailed as gods, met there and clashed together, enraged that the other was in their territory."

"They were never supposed to meet, yet somehow they met in battle in an inaccessible place, but Palkia fled because it was injured. Palkia got to Alamos Town first, and somehow locked itself inside of the town in a kind of space bubble."

"Wait," Monferno began. "What do you mean by bubble? Did Palkia somehow trap the entire town with it?"

"Palkia is said to be a Pokémon with total control of space, so it fled to Alamos, but caused it to become trapped in its own protective bubble to heal from Dialga," Staraptor said, picking up the question.

"The town was guarded by a Pokémon called Darkrai, whom at first we didn't trust," Grotle added. "It was all a big misunderstanding, but Darkrai successfully provoked Palkia to release the bubble. When it did, somehow we were right in the middle of an alternate dimension. Dialga picked up on it right away and started resuming the fight with Palkia and also engaged Darkrai in a three way battle."

"How did the fighting end? Were you guys alright?" Gliscor asked in worry.

"Darkrai stalled Dialga and Palkia long enough to buy us enough time. Thanks to Ash and Dawn, they managed to activate the bell tower in the town. Thank goodness the music from the tower actually calmed them down. Darkrai turned out alright, and everything returned to normal," Grotle explained. "It was quite an ordeal, but the really big part is about the sheer power of those legendary Pokémon. They truly were _gods_."

"The thing is, when the fighting was finally over, Palkia was able to restore us back to normal," Buizel said, picking up Grotle's train of thought. "We've heard about Palkia and these powers in folk tales, but there we were finally able to see them for real."

"Dialga has the power to control time, and Palkia has the power to control space," Pikachu explained. "I don't know exactly what that means or what they are truly capable of, but during the fighting we were trapped. We tried to leave the town, but every time we tried, we ended up going back to the same spot. It felt like… it felt like…"

"Like an infinite loop," Buizel finished for him. "You'd be stuck in this loop forever, trying to get out of the town but with no hope of ever escaping. It's like being trapped in the alternate dimension for eternity."

"Hold on though, it wasn't just like being trapped in a loop," Staraptor said. "_It was more like being trapped in time_! Being trapped in a loop forever is probably just like being trapped in time!"

"No, but that can't be right, Staraptor!" Buizel started. "We kept returning to the same spot, over and over again! That means that time was still going, but we kept coming back to the same space. It was more like being trapped in space, if you're asking me!"

"Still Buizel, Staraptor could be onto something," Pikachu said. "Even though we kept returning to the same spot, we could've still been frozen in time. Remember when it was all over? _Hardly any time passed at all_! That had to mean that we were kept in some kind of time loop but we just couldn't feel it."

"Wait, are you suggesting that controlling space means that time starts acting up?" Gliscor wondered. "That seems so non-intuitive! What happens if you control time? Does space start acting up then?"

Everyone seemed stumped at this proposal. However, a moment after Gliscor asked his rhetorical question, Grotle piped up and spoke with great enthusiasm.

"Guys, it actually does make a little bit of sense if you think about it!"

"Really?" Monferno asked skeptically. "Let's hear it."

"Let's say you traveled back in time about forty human years ago. Even though you'd end up at the same spot, you, the time traveler, didn't change your age, so to you, time didn't change at all!"

"Go on?" Staraptor pressed.

"Instead of your time changing around you, all of the space around you changes! I bet that if you traveled back in time forty years, you wouldn't feel anything different about your age, but your surroundings would change to reflect the time traveled! Especially in a city like this, I'll bet this was a forest forty years ago, so you could definitely see the change in scenery—the change in space! If you traveled back in time, you'd still feel the same age just in a different point in history than where you came from."

"It means that time control doesn't change the perception of time!" Grotle continued, excited at the epiphany. "Time control alters the perception of space affected by time!"

"Woah…" Buizel gasped. Pikachu, Monferno, and Gliscor did a similar take.

"What about space travel? How do you think that works?" Staraptor questioned further.

Grotle took a short pause to gather his hypothesis. In a manner of role reversal, he stated, "Space travel probably means that time goes backwards or forwards whether the space is getting built or 'unbuilt'. If space is being built into how the future looks, its inhabitants age to match the building of space. If space is being torn down into how the past looked, its inhabitants probably decrease in age to match the earlier setting. I guess we're kindof in a space travel right now, just our ages are growing slowly to match our surroundings."

"Lemme take a stab at this one," Monferno interjected. "Let's say that we all did a 'space travel' and somehow undo the building of this walkway for five human years."

"Yeah? I'm listening!" Grotle encouraged enthusiastically.

"As the walkway is in the process of being 'unbuilt'… I'd probably de-evolve into a Chimchar, Staraptor would probably still be with his old flock as a Starly, Gliscor would still have been trying to keep up with his gliding friends as a Gligar, Buizel might be an egg with his parents, Pikachu wouldn't know Volt Tackle, and you, Grotle, would probably de-evolve into a Turtwig."

"That could be," Grotle agreed. "But you know, that's only my guess. I have absolutely _no clue_ how time travel really works. I guess that one grass Pokémon Celebi could tell us, if the rumors about her are even true, but my guess is as good as any until we ask her."

"Even so, Grotle," Buizel started. "Your theory does explain what might have happened to that Scizor."

"What do you mean by that?" Pikachu asked.

"Let's say that Scizor got caught up in the middle of those legendary Pokémon, and when the legendary Pokémon broke free, they released a massive amount of their own time-space energy?"

"Where are you going with this?" Pikachu asked further.

"Maybe Scizor…" Buizel furrowed his brow and concentrated, trying to think about his choice of words. "Or maybe even the entire region, was trapped in some sort of time loop and space loop simultaneously? What if it was like another Alamos Town?"

The intrigued looks by his friends begged him to continue.

"In that case, the time loop tried to manipulate space, but space was in an infinite loop. The space loop tried to manipulate time, but time was in an infinite loop. If Grotle is right, then somehow that means that neither time would pass nor would space change… time and space would cancel each other out!" Buizel said.

"What the heck?" Staraptor asked incredulously. "What would happen to those caught in this clash? Would they also get cancelled out?"

"I think that's what nearly happened to us, right?" Buizel nodded to Staraptor. "Dialga and Palkia fought against each other so violently that they somehow transported us into an alternate universe, one which we couldn't leave its space and one where time didn't pass by. In fact, when the fighting started again, Dialga and Palkia's energies caused the edges of the town to vanish into nothing, exactly because we were caught in Dialga's time loop and Palkia's space loop. Their energy nearly canceled our existence entirely..."

Silence pervaded the atmosphere of Pokémon while the moving walkway continued to the ocean. A soft sea breeze flitted through each respective nostril and the walkway underneath them turned into a deep, rich shade of Navy blue, signaling their close arrival.

"The more I think about Grotle's thoughts and what you're saying right now Buizel," Pikachu began. "I think you may be right. Remember that if Ash and Dawn hadn't stopped the battle with the tower chimes, our universe would've collapsed and we wouldn't exist anymore, not in this universe, and not in that universe they created."

"Exactly!" Buizel agreed. "Bringing it back to Scizor, I think that's what happened, and that explains why no explorers could ever find his body again. If Scizor truly was trapped in that colossal clash of power, then he may either be currently stuck in an alternate universe, or completely wiped off the face of existence permanently."

"I'd hate to be a party pooper," interrupted Gliscor. "But May's cruise just arrived on the dock, and we're just about to get off the walkway."

"Then before we go off to see May and her Pokémon again, let me get this straight," Monferno requested. "So far, all we know is that some Pokémon named Mewtwo is now estranged friends with Ash right?"

"Right," Staraptor affirmed.

"And Ash had some dream that he made friends with a Pokémon, as a Pokémon, and joined a rescue team?"

"So he said…" Buizel admitted.

"And somehow that Dialga and Palkia were almost captured five thousand years ago, and many rescue teams with a fabled Scizor may have been sealed away or destroyed as a result?"

"Possibly," Grotle suggested.

"And best yet, at the very least, Ash dreamed about it and maybe even partook in it?"

"It's just a guess…" Gliscor cautioned.

"And there's no way to actually know for sure, right?" Monferno finally topped off.

"Not in this world," Pikachu said. He scoffed at the fact, but smiled just thinking about the possibilities.

Monferno also returned the smirk.

"Right... Not in this world."

By the time the questions had finished, all of the trainers and Ash's Pokémon successfully exited off of the moving walkway directed toward the Sunyshore dock. Together, they approached the modestly large cruise ship arriving from the Johto region, ecstatically watched the passenger door unlock itself for safe passage, and itched with anticipation to see their old friend.

**[12:10 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Seaport), Sinnoh Region**

"Beautifly, can you see anything?" May asked her Flying-Bug type.

May disembarked from the cruise ship slightly later than the rest of the passengers to avoid the large crowd, but to the contrary, the crowd lingered to mix with people waiting for their arrival and still others who were waiting to depart. Beautifly circled the skies, trying to find Ash and his friends, but was having a little difficulty finding his landmark head amongst the crowd.

"I hope I can find them!" May voiced to herself quietly. "What if they didn't make it here in time…?"

"No," May told herself sternly. "Ash may have trouble doing things like getting out of bed, but he never makes a friend wait. I know he won't let me down."

Suddenly, Beautifly made a high pitched squeal of delight and soared down to where May was to point her in the right direction.

"Beautifly! Did you find them?" she asked.

Sure enough, Beautifly pointed her proboscis in the direction of Ash's entire traveling caravan and flew off to land on Ash's head in advance. The crowed thinned out slightly; several families left to reunite over food, businessmen and women left for their commercial duties, and various others left almost as if to clear a path for May to find her group. Beautifly landed neatly on Ash's head, giving Pikachu a little start, received an excited welcome from Ash himself, and then respectively pointed out her own trainer to Ash with her proboscis.

When Ash found May amongst the crowd, his chest warmed in relief and excitement as he quickly hurried over to May, who similarly rushed over to her old friend.

"Hey, May! I'm so glad you're here!" Ash greeted with a huge smile.

As she stood before the trainer in front of her, she saw his entire team of Pokémon behind him and all of her old friends from Sinnoh. May couldn't help but return the favor.

"Ash! It's so great to see you again!" she replied with a laugh.

Suddenly Ash reached both of his arms around May, who did the same in turn, and she wrapped her arms around his back into a tight embrace. Both felt each other's presence like nothing before for the first time in months. As they were still pressed together in total friendship, Ash couldn't help but whisper softly enough for May to hear.

"I've missed you so much, May…"

When she heard this, she startled slightly, feeling the meaning of the words sink into her. As she realized what Ash said, she pulled him closer and whispered back.

"I've missed you too… I've missed you so much."

Soon, all of Ash's Pokémon had crowded around the two trainers and they pulled apart to give the surrounding Pokémon some much needed attention. In joyful spirits, May joined the rest of the group in animated dialogue, and together the group of Pokémon trainers and Ash's Pokémon followed Flint according to the direction of his nose. All was well for a pre-Gym battle lunch.

* * *

_Dear Readers,_

Now to explain what the hell I just wrote two years ago. There is a modern interpretation of time as of Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity first published in the early 20th century. His theory explains that a person walking towards another person at the same speed perceives the second person moving at twice his own speed. While this seems perfectly reasonable, the second part of his theory is downright wacky. His theory explains that a person walking in the dark towards a person walking with a flashlight toward him will **NOT** perceive light as moving at 3.0*10^8 m/s + walking speed. Light moves at a constant speed _regardless of reference frame_. This means that at the speed of light, several strange things happen. For one thing, time slows down to nothing, which has given rise to my interpretation of what time travel means. Since the time traveler doesn't change his age or his sense of time as he's traveling (otherwise worded as no time having passed/time slows down to nothing), time travel then implies no movement at all through space while the rest of space is moving at the speed of light. This is why I believe a time traveler will see space change but not time. Since time and space are inextricably linked, I simply reversed this effect to explain space travel as experiencing the passage of time at all. Feel free to ask some questions or point out my BS at any time if you feel like it. : )

It was at this time those years ago that I decided to append comments to every chapter and type out the upload date. This will help people who are wondering how often I update to get an accurate picture of the pattern. Needless to say, it is spotty as shit. Comments are within the bar lines and every time I've made an edit has also been recorded.

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_Story Notes:_

N/A

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_Author's Notes: _

Uploaded, 05/04/11

| construction of story universe complete/expecting review outcry/embrace scenes are hard/must refine diction in later chapters/most painstaking chapter so far |

original title, "Arrival"

RE: edit. 09/11/11

RE: edit. 03/16/12

original title, "Long Awaited Arrival"

RE: edit. 01/26/13


	19. Legend Maker

**Chapter Thirteen: Legend Maker  
**

Usually when hosting someone dear at a restaurant, people generally spend more attention to the visiting traveler. No matter how delicious the food, the host is supposed to keep the eye on the prize and hold the newcomer in the forefront. Similarly, the new visitor should probably do the same with respect to the host, paying more attention to the person than the food. Clearly Ash and May didn't understand this.

**[13:10 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Sunny Shore Tower Diner), Sinnoh Region**

"Goodness," Cynthia said as she looked upon both Ash and May completely devouring their meal. "I thought I had an appetite…"

"You should get used to it Cynthia," Dawn calmly finished her chew of Caesar salad and laughed. "This only happens _every_ mealtime."

"I see…" Cynthia murmured to herself. She took a quick glance in Lucian's direction on the other side of the table and at Flint to her right. Lucian waved his hand in a beckoning motion, trying to get her to speak something whereas Flint just shrugged and continued devouring his giant burrito special.

Cynthia sat on the end of the plushy booth while the young quartet sat on the inside; Brock and Dawn were the furthest away from her. Just as Cynthia opened her mouth and raised her hand up about to say something, Dawn charged forward with a question for May, who just finished her last bite. Cynthia quickly closed her mouth and scratched the back of her ear so as not to interrupt.

"May, you never told us about the Johto region! How were the contests?" Dawn asked emphatically. May quickly finished her mouthful of burger patty and heavy condiments before answering.

"It's been a lot of fun, but really, really stressful most of the time," May replied as best as she could. "I had to travel alone for a good part of my stay, but recently I traveled with Drew."

The mention of Drew caused a slight eyebrow raise from Brock, one that May noticed right away. Ash also looked up briefly in response to May, but looked back to his burger trying to dismiss his premonitions.

"Isn't the Grand Festival really soon?" Dawn asked with a strong, urgent tone. "Do you have enough ribbons to compete?"

May was about to take a quick bite of her burger, but at Dawn's question, she stopped abruptly and set the burger back down on the plate. Not a day after she left her troubles behind, they caught right back up to her. She opened up her mouth to say something but stopped short again.

"I…"

"May?" Brock asked gingerly, noticing her grand pause. "Is something wrong?"

May looked down at her once tasty-looking burger and suddenly felt really weak. She managed to say something in a sort of quiet voice.

"As I said, traveling alone was really stressful…"

"You don't have the necessary five ribbons to compete, do you?" Cynthia said taking note of May's change of tone. She decided to spare the song and dance and just skip to the point.

May turned her head towards Cynthia's direction with a grim look on her face and nodded. Everyone on the table felt a wave of melancholy at the news, particularly May's older traveling friends.

"That's rough, May," Flint sighed his condolences. "I know that there are no more official contests to compete after Olivine. I'm really sorry to hear that."

"I just don't know what's come over me! I've lost so many more contests than I won, and each one felt so much more difficult than the last. I feel like I lost my touch…" May said, sitting back in her booth to try and sort things out. She noticed Ash stopped eating and was raptly listening to her speak, which surprised her. Ash usually never let good food rest. Lucian took this opportunity to express his expertise.

"You know May, I don't know that much about you, but my guess is that you're just not used to traveling alone," Lucian said calmly. "Remember that you started out with Ash so you're probably used to that style of travel. Most trainers don't get that opportunity and end up leaving on their own."

"Yeah," Flint butted in. "Traveling with friends is so much more fun than traveling alone, take my word for it! I think it also produces better trainers as a result."

"Wait till Paul hears that!" Ash muttered under his breath.

"As I was saying May, you shouldn't think that you're at total fault for your losses," Lucian smirked at Flint for his interruption and then continued on. "Sometimes just being alone will cause people to lose their drive. Don't let it get to you. This too shall come to pass."

"Yeah, I know…" May agreed. "I'm pretty down about it right now, since I'll have to wait until next year."

"There's one thing I don't get," Cynthia started. "You're a great coordinator—I've even seen your appeals on TV! Why aren't you going to the festival anyway? Why are you all the way over here?"

"I…" May began, hesitant what to say. "I had other problems in Olivine. Going to the Grand Festival was out of the question for me."

"Is it personal?" Brock jumped in, hoping to save May from any more prying questions. As Brock asked, May inwardly thanked him for his careful consideration. She started breathing a little bit easier to match.

"Yeah," she replied. "It's been really rough for me the last few weeks. I just had no idea where to turn after the Olivine contest ended, so I looked to the only place I could other than home. Going to the Grand Festival would've… complicated things."

"You know May," Ash began. "You'll always have a home with us."

"He's absolutely right! No need to worry!" Dawn piqued. "You're always welcome here with us! Feel free to stay as long as you'd like until you sort things through."

Brock nodded in final agreement. "We've got you covered May."

May smiled brightly at her old friends, feeling at peace and content. She looked towards Brock, Dawn, and Ash, feeling truly grateful to have ever met such amazing people.

"Thanks, you guys…" May said with heavy thanks. "That means so, so much to me."

Cynthia allowed a few seconds to settle amongst the group before she was ushered by Lucian's hand movements again. It was time to forward her proposal and reveal her ulterior motives.

"Ash," Cynthia started. "Are you almost done with your lunch?"

"Mmphm… yeagh…" Ash just realized that he hadn't finished his last bite of burger, so he hurriedly crammed it in his mouth and sloppily responded. "Jus-a-seck…!"

May and Dawn simultaneously face-palmed at Ash's horrid table manners. May on the other hand fondly remembered eating dinner with him on the night before the Wallace Cup. Cynthia merely smiled at Ash's nonchalant rudeness and decided to begin her explanation.

"Alright, while Ash is finishing up his lunch, I'll just start talking. Hopefully it won't take too long," Cynthia started.

To her right, Flint made an obvious roll of the eyes to which Cynthia administered a death glare in response. Flint snorted a laugh and retreated back into the booth cushions so that Cynthia could address the younger group on her side.

"First off, May," Cynthia began. "What do you know about Team Galactic?"

"I've only heard little things about them, mostly from reports on the news," May said, letting her eyes roll upwards to remember what she could. "Aren't they just really silly-looking wig-wearing people who only talk about impossible schemes?"

Cynthia tried to grin at May's description, but the slight curl of her lips quickly faded into a frown.

"That may have been the case a year ago, May," Cynthia spoke. "But since a few months ago, they've turned from harmlessly benign to violently active. Their first national crime was when they actually broke into my hometown museum."

"Oh no!" May gasped, cupping her mouth with her hands in shock. "I had no idea this was going on! What happened to the museum? Why were they there?"

"They came to take several of our precious artifacts. The museum was heavily damaged, the ruins are now especially wrecked, and Team Galactic made off with Sinnoh's two precious jewels in the attack."

"No way…" May gasped. "You're not talking about the famous Lustrous and Adamant Orbs? That's awful!"

"I only wish, May… As for the rest of you," Cynthia started. "You remember what happened right?"

"Yeah…" Brock nodded in a somber affirmative. "I just wonder what they are up to right now. Probably nothing good, of that I am sure."

"I can't stand them!" Ash brought his hand onto the table and balled it tightly into a fist. With a slight growl in his voice, he said, "I won't forgive them for what they did! Taking those treasures as if they actually belonged to them? There's no way!"

Cynthia nodded in agreement with Ash and mentally balled her own fist. However, she kept her visage calm. If she was to do anything about these invaders, she would have to be as ruthless, calculating, and stoic as her enemy.

"I know how you feel, everybody. I know you want to stop their plans as much as I do, so that's why I brought you all here. Now there is the perfect chance to stop them in their tracks."

"What do you mean?" Brock enthusiastically asked. "Where are they now?"

"It turns out that Team Galactic is back inside the museum, conducting research on the ruins." Cynthia folded her hands and rested her chin on top, trying to find the right words to say.

"What?" The group unanimously exclaimed, incredulously.

"Yes," Cynthia gravely affirmed. To this the entire group of young trainers looked to each other and fed off of each other's passionate revolt. Cynthia continued to explain.

"What's worse is that the townsfolk know about it but don't have the means to fight them. Team Galactic has imprisoned all the trainers who have tried to expose those criminals in the open, and now the grunts are now posing as policemen guards outside the doors. The town has been stifled by their undercover but eminent presence. It's like rubbing salt into an already open wound."

"Unbelievable." Brock couldn't believe his ears. "How did you find out? Were you there?"

"No, I was not there…" Cynthia replied bitterly. "I suppose I were, they wouldn't have even attempted such a maneuver. Regardless, I found out about their new scheme from my family. You remember Professor Caroline, my grandmother? She and my mom noticed the museum was locked one day and discovered some Galactic goons surrounding the Celestial ruins. They never found out what Team Galactic was doing in there again, but luckily they escaped before those fake guards took their shift and they phoned me about the situation."

"What are we going to do then, Cynthia?" Dawn asked with an even greater sense of urgency.

"We're breaking in of course!" Flint couldn't help but pump his fist in the air and interject the most exciting part. "It'll be just like in those spy movies! They'll never know what hit em'!"

"Well, I wouldn't quite put it that way," Cynthia said, blinking at her colleague's sudden outburst, but she chuckled all the same, getting excited with bravado about the prospect. "But thank you Flint, you know how much I appreciate your enthusiasm. But yes, we're basically breaking in, shutting down Team Galactic's plans and brute forcing them out of my hometown."

"Wait a minute," Brock spoke out, almost in protest. "If this is going to be more like espionage followed by brute force, why do you need us? We're definitely not professionals at sneaking in or delivering huge attacks. You, the Sinnoh Champion, and two Elite Four members should be enough to finish them off, right?"

"Brock's right!" May nodded in agreement. "You all are definitely more capable than we are for something like this. Why do you need our help?"

Cynthia opened her mouth about to begin, but Lucian raised his hand politely to offer his input. Cynthia gestured toward him and he began.

"Allow me to explain," Lucian began. "I mean Cynthia no disrespect when I say this, but the main plan involves entering the museum through the sewer tunnels followed by the museum air vents. Cynthia is very personally strong and won't have an issue in the sewer."

"The problem starts with the air vents. Flint and I are way too big for those small spaces, and even Cynthia won't have much room, all aesthetics aside. More importantly, Flint and I agreed that Cynthia shouldn't enter that museum alone, no matter how powerful she is. Everyone should have a backup. That's why we wanted Ash to come along. Essentially, he's our backup and support if anything goes wrong with Cynthia."

"Wait, then can I help?" May's eyes suddenly lit up in excitement. "I want to help!"

Brock and Dawn nodded emphatically in agreement.

"Haha, I figured you would say that May!" Cynthia smiled. "As Lucian said, having only Ash come along was our original plan. I realize now that having the rest of you come with us will only make everything better, but I'll just have to draw up new specifics to accommodate everyone. I won't go into any more details until tonight so I have some time to reformulate the strategy, but I just wanted to let you all know that this is really why we are here. We need your help to take down Team Galactic. Needless to say, Ash's upcoming gym battle is icing on the cake and it will get our feet wet."

"You've got it Cynthia," Brock nodded somberly. "We won't let Team Galactic get away with anything a second time. We promise you that!"

"I'm so glad I can count on you guys," Cynthia said with a smile, letting her hands fall from the table into her lap.

Just then, Ash noticed the two waiters who served the entire group get up from the booth just behind Cynthia. One of them had short, blue hair, and the other had extravagantly long violet red hair. Ash couldn't help but feel that there was something familiar about those two, but before he could vocalize anything, someone shouted out, "_Look, you guys! It's the Sinnoh Champion_!"

Suddenly a horde of trainers both young and old approached Cynthia's table and bombarded her with questions. Flint and Lucian simultaneously blinked their eyes twice and watched the chaos unfold. Flint suggested the group to get up and head over to his favorite ice cream shop for a desert, Lucian paid the bill in full, and soon the entire group of trainers at Cynthia's table and her fans migrated as well. So as not to keep her fans in the dark where she was headed, she asked the crowd, "_Do you guys want any ice cream?_"

"YEAH!" the crowd of trainers emphatically responded.

Cynthia smiled and shouted out, "Then it's my treat!"

Flint, who was ahead of Cynthia leading the massive group of people, rolled his eyes at all of the shenanigans.

"Show off…" he muttered under his breath. Turning to Lucian at his side, he joked, "I don't know about you, buddy, but I never, ever got this sort of treatment."

"It's actually not as glamorous as you might think," Lucian chuckled. "Most people are kind though. Every once in a while you'll get a really snippy challenger, harassment from the news, or something worse."

Flint rose into good spirits as he turned his head back to look at the flash mob. A whole bunch of trainers were surrounding Cynthia, asking her questions and begging for her autograph while some other trainers simply followed the crowd, mingling with Ash, Brock, Dawn, and May, exchanging greetings and sharing their experiences. Still at the head of the crowd however, Flint wondered aloud to his partner.

"Hey Lucian," Flint started. "I know she usually tells the truth to us most of the time, but don't you think that bringing Ash along just as backup is already an extremely flimsy excuse, even for Cynthia?"

"Yeah," Lucian nodded solemnly and took _The Odyssey _out of his pocket. "On any other day, the Sinnoh Champion would refuse backup because it would diminish her title. A champion is a champion, after all."

"So you do think there is another reason?" Flint asked.

"Indeed I do, my friend," Lucian nodded again. "However, our best bet is to wait for her to reveal it. Asking is not going to produce any results from her any time soon. This _is_ Cynthia we're talking about, after all."

After saying that much, Flint dug his hands into his pockets in thought while Lucian scanned the book page for his starting place. After chuckling to himself after hearing a fan repeatedly beg the Champion for an autograph, Lucian read the pages and smiled when he remembered the part where he left off, noting how similar he felt to Odysseus floating aimlessly on the sea towards his next unknown foe. Flint was then interrupted by a fan that actually took to noticing an Elite Four member, and animatedly began chatting about his adventures with him.

**[11:49 A.M.] Valencia Island (Bayview Laboratory), Orange Archipelago**

Professor Felina Ivy was a hopeless case of failed domesticity. On the dining table in front of her sat several food items bought from the local Valencia Island supermarket. Packages of cold cuts, different breads, boxed Caesar salad, bottled condiments of ketchup and mustard, pre-made apple pie, and several tubs of flavored ice cream sat on the table idle. She was well advised to buy these items for lunchtime today though, the smell of her burned-microwaveable-macaroni-and-cheese-in-a-pot was famous across the island.

The preparations were not without a good reason, for today was a rare day, even for the professor. Instead of waiting for a take out service to ring her doorbell, she was waiting for her professional colleague Professor Jonathan Elm of the Johto region to arrive. Over the past few weeks they had been discussing their research more often and collaborated on many research papers.

_It seems somehow enjoyable_, Ivy thought. _The quirky lab rat and the clumsy kitchen failure meeting each other for the first time._

She wasn't even sure if this meeting was solely professional or more of a social meeting. As soon as she finished daydreaming about that last thought, her doorbell rang and woke her up.

"Oh my gosh, he's here!" Felina voiced aloud in surprise. "I hope he doesn't mind the mess…"

When she opened the door, the sight of a rather sunburnt young researcher stood in the frame to greet her. Clad without a shirt, Professor Elm stood before Felina with a beach towel slung over his right shoulder, a sandy beach bag slung on his other shoulder, and complete with white punk design swimming trunks.

"Hi, professor! I hope you don't mind my lack of dress! I wanted a tan while I had the chance but I didn't check the time, so I ran a little late…" Professor Elm said with some measure of embarrassment.

"I uh…" Professor Ivy blinked twice before realizing who was at her doorstep. "I don't mind, come in!"

"Goodness, it's really hot outside," Gratefully, Professor Elm brushed off the sand from his beach bag and dropped it near the doorway and swung his towel around his neck. "The Orange Archipelago is much warmer than New Bark Town."

"It is noontime around here after all!" Professor Ivy smiled in return. "New Bark is called the place 'where the winds of new beginnings blow', right? You're probably used to more temperate climates."

"Here, I bought some food from the grocery store for lunch," She motioned for Elm to sit at the table where all the food lay. "I mean, you know I don't really cook for myself, especially after my spaghetti ruined our research drafts last time…"

"Oh you didn't have to do that for me!" Elm was flabbergasted at her hospitality. "I could've just made us something right here."

"You're too kind, Professor," Ivy said rather bashfully. "Say, did you enjoy your time on the beach? I thought you were more of a lab person, you know?"

"Oh yes, usually I am," Elm said with a chuckle. "All of my assistants back home made sure that I left for the archipelago without any work or anything to keep me occupied so I actually got outside for once! This was a really new thing for me, honestly!"

"You mean you've never been to the beach?" Ivy asked in shock. For her, there was not a day she didn't spend in the salty, pristine water, although usually for moderate amounts of time collecting data.

"Actually yes," Elm replied rather embarrassedly. "But you know, for a first time, this was awesome! I'm so glad I could come."

"Oh no," Ivy interjected. "The pleasure is mine."

"You know, Professor, your lab looks quite like mine."

Ivy raised her eyebrow slightly. "How so?"

"It's really, um…" Elm mulled a little for the right word, hoping not to sound accusatory. "It's rather busy."

"Oh my gosh, you're right!" Ivy said, cupping her mouth in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry, my assistants and I don't really feel the need to clean up all the time. I apologize for the mess!"

"That's really no problem, I assure you! Where are your assistants, by the way?" Elm asked. "Faith, Hope, and Charity, right?"

"Absolutely," Ivy said. "I actually let them take the day off for today. For once, all of my duties were in the morning and I just had to check on the Pokémon feeding and behavior patterns long before you arrived. I'm free for the rest of the day."

"I completely understand. Say," Elm wondered aloud. "Am I here on vacation or business? Either way I don't mind. It is really great just to meet you in person."

"As it is getting to meet you! I am glad we get to speak face to face for once instead of over videophone," Ivy agreed. "I thought about it actually, but since we're just discussing theories and not writing a research paper, it'll just be a little bit of both this time."

"Sounds good to me. The main thing though is definitely about our legend theories. Do you mind if I dig in? It would be a waste if I didn't right?"

"Of course, go right ahead. And I agree on the legend focus. There's been something about the legend of Shamouti Island that intrigues me."

"What about it? You never went into further detail, professo."

Elm took a seat at the end of the table and began preparing a simple sandwich for himself as Ivy sat on the opposite end of the table. Ivy took a slice of peperoni in her hand and shoved it carelessly into her mouth.

"It's just something about legend that bothered me," She managed to speak. "Something about the text."

"What about it?" Elm asked shoveling a hastily made sandwich into his mouth.

"Here," Professor Ivy said as she pushed her seat out of the table and walked to her computer station. "Let me just print a copy of the inscriptions and the translated text."

Ivy quickly opened the appropriate files on her computer and printed out a picture of the shrine text and a copy of the translation. By the time the professor came back with the two print outs, Professor Elm already finished his sandwich and was ready for investigating.

"Say, Elm, do you mind if I just call you by your first name?" Professor Ivy asked as she handed Elm the print outs. "It'll be a lot easier that way for me. I don't really like formalities all that much."

"Haha, that's no problem, Felina," Elm chuckled as he examined the papers. "You can call me Jonathan or Jon, whatever works best for you."

"Thanks, and you can call me Felina or Fel, whatever works for you," Ivy gratefully said. "In that case, Jon, go ahead and read the translation out loud. My theory becomes a bit clearer if the text is read aloud."

"Alright, then…" Elm looked at her and brought out his reading glasses. He proceeded to read the text in a precise and articulate voice.

_Disturb not the Harmony of Fire, Ice or Lightning,_

_lest these Titans wreak Destruction upon the World in which they clash. _

_Though the Water's Great Guardian shall arise to quell the Fighting,_

_alone its Song will fail, and thus the Earth shall turn to Ash. _

_oh, Chosen One, into thine Hands bring together all Three, _

_their Treasures combined tame the Beast of the Sea._

The professor let a short pause permeate the room after he finished. The weight of this text weighed heavily on the world in recent memory. It was best to treat the subject with appropriate reverence.

"You know, Fel, I'm not too familiar with texts from the Orange Archipelago… but if I'm not mistaken, this is the legend that pertains to the compressed underwater current that originates in the central region near Shamouti, right?"

"Yes, but only recently was that connection made," Ivy nodded. "You do remember what happened when the '_Harmony'_ mentioned became disturbed, right?

"Worldwide weather calamity caused by a positive flux in the ocean level," Elm spoke solemnly. "Essentially, the disturbed '_Harmony_' caused a trans-national crisis of the entire planet."

"Not to mention that crisis could've ended negatively with the world's destruction due to flooding, resulting in an end to all terrestrial life as we know it."

"Right…" Elm shuddered at the mere thought. "But, Felina, certainly you agree that the most important thing is that those events_ didn't_ happen."

"Precisely, Jon," Ivy agreed. "But they came to pass only because the inscribed legend gave specific instructions _to stop it_. You remember how right?"

"Yes," Elm nodded. "According to your report and others from regional professors, a young boy named Ash Ketchum, whom I'm familiar with, retrieved the Ice Orb from Ice Island and completed the ceremony together with the festival maiden. Almost instantly, the water spouts, whirlpools, typhoons, and lightning ceased and the ice floes were melted soon afterward. It was as if nothing happened."

"Correct, Jon. You followed the events on the news right?"

"As best as I could," Elm apologized. "To be honest, I was more occupied trying to find out what the heck I should do about my panicky Pokémon back in my lab. I remember the storms that started up in my backyard though. We got snow, sleet, thunder… even a short sandstorm for crying out loud."

"Did it seem likely at the time that a single man could stop the calamity?" Ivy asked.

Elm shook his head gravely.

"Not at all."

Ivy pointed to the paper in Elm's hand.

"Upon reading the inscribed legend for a second time, is it obvious yet that a kid named Ash Ketchum was the only way to stop the disasters?"

"Still no," Elm said, scratching the back of his head. Ivy nodded at his confession.

"Then answer me this, what do the words '_and thus the Earth shall turn to Ash_' mean to you, disregarding what they mean with respect to the actual crisis?"

"Hmm…" Elm said, rubbing his chin in his hand. "I would have thought that the word '_Ash_' was more of a metaphorical way to describe the world destruction. Something like a world reduced to total devastation or something in the ballpark."

"And what about, '_oh, Chosen One_?" Ivy asked further. "Did it sound like it was referring to the word '_Ash_' like a literal name?"

"Again, no. I would have thought that the words '_Chosen One_' didn't actually describe a person with a real name, rather someone really exceptional who could do something about the calamity."

"Would you have ever thought that the text was literal, Jon?"

"Absolutely not," Elm responded. "Why on earth would a legend that dates hundreds of years ago predict something so far away into the future? Not to mention, the legend gives absolutely clear instructions for what to do. It's absurd!"

"Then you and I share our initial suspicions," Ivy said, sitting back down on her side of the table before speaking again. "Do you believe it was coincidence? Coincidence that _Ash Ketchum_ was the only one who could stop the world's end?"

"Honestly, I don't know what to believe," Elm sighed and slumped down in his chair, thinking with his hand on his forehead. "It's hard to imagine that Ash is some sort of boy of prophesy, but it is true that he braved the battle of those legendary birds like no other human would even try. He is exceptional in many ways."

"What are your experiences with the boy?" Ivy inquired. "I only met him once when he came to Valencia Island to pick up the GS Ball."

"I only had a short time to get to know him as well," Elm said. He sat back in his chair, closed his eyes, and smiled, remembering the day he met Ash. "It's funny actually. Through my carelessness, I let a couple of thieves make off with a Totodile I intended to give to a rookie trainer. Ash actually tracked down the villains and brought that Totodile back. He was a really brash but very spirited young man… Perhaps he really could be something of major consequence, especially considering his efforts during the Shamouti Island crisis. What are you getting at, I wonder?"

"Oak thinks highly of the boy, suggesting that he is some sort of Pokémon trainer prodigy," Ivy said. "Not to mention, I've seen firsthand that he is capable of truly Earth-changing accomplishments. I think he actually might be some sort of 'Chosen One'."

"Well?" Elm asked, itching to get an idea. "What do you think?"

"Now that the introduction and all the material has been presented, I'd like to present two theories to the table," Ivy stated.

"What do you mean?" Elm asked.

"What I mean is that it's necessary that you know all of the information about the legend, how it actually came to life, and how it ended right? So I made sure that you understood the text once again, remembered the chaos that ensued, and knew for a fact that it was Ash's efforts that ended the crisis."

"Certainly it's a good place to start, Fel," Elm complimented. "What are your two theories?"

"I'll just introduce the first one then," Ivy said. "I think it's a highly substantial one on its own, if I do say so myself. I'll follow it up with my second one afterwards."

"I'm definitely interested," Elm said excitedly. "Let's hear it."

"My first theory is that this legend represents a dichotomy, two contrasting but completely interconnected ideas in one text. If we look at standard literature, we can always find symbols or double meanings within the text. Names in books are such an example because they refer to an existing character, but their name might carry extra significance like foreshadowing an event or it contains a character trait that will be useful to the protagonist. Therefore, my first theory is that this legend is completely subject to all of the conventions of literary interpretation, and that the text of the legend can be looked at both figuratively and literally. Here's an example.

"It seems obvious to me that the phrase '_and thus the World shall turn to Ash_' is meaningful in two ways. The first way is that the planet Earth shall be destroyed physically and the second way is that a person named Ash will be depended upon to prevent the destruction. This is a literal and a figurative interpretation contained within the same text—the dichotomy I was referring to."

"Go on?" Elm pressured.

"Obviously that sentence alone was true in its literal meaning and in its figurative meaning. Well? What if every single sentence or phrase in the legend is just like that? What if everything is symbolic?"

"How so?" Elm wondered. "Do you have any other examples?"

"Yes," Ivy continued. "Whenever islanders would read the inscription, they would usually interpret everything in the text except '_the Treasures_' as a symbol. Take the treasures, then. The treasures in the legend are obviously literal, manifest as orbs used in the annual Legend Festival Ceremony, but what if the words are figurative as well? I think that the orbs are indeed physical treasures… but more importantly, they are also embodiments of the birds themselves."

"What are you suggesting?"

"What I mean is that I believe the legend works as both a literal warning and instruction in addition to a functional explanation for the underwater current phenomenon. I believe that this legend can be made scientific and empirical!"

"Hold on… I get what you're saying!" Elm exclaimed. "I remember Professor Oak's dissertation following the crisis about the three legendary bird's involvement in the underwater current. He made sure in his introduction that the so-called '_Titans_' of fire, ice, and lightning were actually associated with the legendary birds, Moltres, Articuno, and Zapdos, previously only thought of as myths. He suggested that the combination of fire from Moltres and ice from Articuno over time resulted in the mass of water known as the ocean. He went on further to say that the resultant water from Moltres and Articuno supplemented with electricity from Zapdos created an underwater current to sustain life throughout the world. If we apply his theory to the actual legend text, let me see… ah, right here!"

_their Treasures combined tame the Beast of the Sea._

Ivy looked towards Elm with a great grin on her face. Elm returned the gesture and continued to explain what suddenly became self-evident.

"I get it, Felina," Elm spoke, his voice shaking from excitement. "You're saying that the '_Treasures_' are indeed the orbs used in the ceremony to stop the world's destruction, but in addition to that, on _any regular day_ the word '_Treasures_' just means the embodiment of the '_Titans_'! Of course! If you combine the treasures of the three birds, or rather the embodiments of the three birds, those embodiments being fire and ice into water, combined with lightning as electricity, you get a controlled, _tamed_, '_Beast of the Sea_'…"

Elm took a few moments to crystalize and categorize the revelation he just underwent. As he brought his head away from the legend text toward his professional research peer in front of him, he let the connection completely sink in.

"You get the '_Beast of the Sea_', otherwise known as the tame underwater current..."

Professor Ivy smiled at her colleague and Professor Elm stood from his chair in flabbergasted astonishment.

"Professor Ivy… Fel… this might just be your greatest contribution to Pokémon ever! I can't believe there was a discovery like this yet to be made!" Elm was practically shaking with enthusiasm and hype. "Indeed, everything in the legend is both symbolic and literal! This is a groundbreaking find! You should publish a paper immediately! Why on earth haven't you done so already?"

"You are so kind, Jon!" Ivy laughed in her chair and tried to shake off Elm's praise for the sake of humility. "But not yet, let me explain!"

"There's more?" Elm joked. "There's more to reveal?"

"Yes and no," Ivy said, smiling but holding up her hand to slow the other professor down. "You forget that in order to be taken seriously, the first thing that needs fulfilled is obtaining a professional reviewer, like another Pokémon researcher. You would be perfect for that."

Elm slammed the palm of his right hand down on the table, rattling the mayonnaise and utensils and pumped his left hand into the air in a fist.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go publish that paper!"

"Hold on, damnit!" Ivy waved her hands and laughed hysterically. "I know you're eager to finalize this theory and everything, but you forget that even better than a researcher review is a supplication of actual proof!"

"Ahh… I see…" Suddenly, Elm realized why the other professor hadn't immediately written a statement to Pokémon Researcher's Monthly, a research paper to the Pokémon Institute, or an essay to any of the major universities. "Now that I think of it, your research paper would be all theory and no proof. That's rough."

"I knew you'd understand. Now comes the fun part where you come in, Jon," Ivy said.

"What do you mean?" Elm asked while still standing.

"Here, sit back down," Ivy began. "This could take a while. Remember, I haven't actually mentioned my second theory about this entire conundrum."

"That's right!" Elm said, mentally slapping himself for forgetting as he took his seat again. "It must have slipped my mind in all the excitement."

Professor Ivy laughed merrily at her colleague's frankness. "This is only a guess, Jon, but I believe that this legend is actually only a template."

"Excuse me?" Elm cocked his eyebrow far into his forehead. This was completely unexpected. "What do you mean a template?"

"You're from the Johto region, so I'm sure you're acquainted with the myths of Ho-oh and the three legendary beasts, right?" Ivy asked.

"Yes," Elm affirmed. "You should know though, it's not exactly my field of expertise. I specialize in Pokémon reproductive study and breeding patterns, not Pokémon lore. That stuff would be better left to Professor Cedric Juniper from Unova, wouldn't you say?"

"Oh, I'm very familiar with your work," Ivy assured the professor across the table. "But you also know that Pokémon lore isn't my specialty either. I'm an expert in international Pokémon physiological differentiation. The reason why I called you over here is because I have a wild suspicion that this legend doesn't only apply to the bird trio of my region alone, but other legendary Pokémon as well, specifically other trios, perhaps in your region, where another trio is extremely prominent."

"Oh, no…" Elm sighed, smiling at the ground as he caught his head in his hand on the table. "Fel… don't tell me that you think that the Johto beasts work the same way?"

"Would it be such a shock if they did?" Ivy taunted. "Pokémon patterns appear across many species! Perhaps there is a connective link between the legendary Pokémon that we know of."

"Hmm…" Elm said, brushing his eyebrows and looking up into the ceiling. "You know, there could be a resemblance between the birds and the beasts, coincidentally."

"I'm sure you can fathom something right? I haven't actually come up with any answers, I just thought you might be able to connect my legend to your myths," Ivy said.

"Let me see here," Elm said, using his hands to form his words properly. "Well, the beasts in question are obviously Entei, the Volcano Pokémon, Raikou, the Thunder Pokémon, and Suicune, the Aurora Pokémon, all connected to Ho-oh, the Rainbow Pokémon. All three beast Pokémon have been reported as existing species by multiple accounts so we can certainly assume that they are real.

"There is a legend surrounding the three beasts about their origin, although it is debated whether or not the beasts are truly one-of-a-kind species. In the most widely known legend, the oral tradition, it is said that Ho-oh resurrected the three beasts from unnamed Pokémon who perished in the Burned Tower centuries ago. Supposedly Entei was reincarnated in the image of the flames that burned the tower, Raikou in the likeness of the thunderstorm that caused the fire, and Suicune in the impression of the north wind that brought rain down to put out the flames.

"If we use your example of the '_Treasure_' as a figurative way to describe the embodiments of the beasts, we'd get Entei embodied as either a volcano or an eternal flame that cannot be extinguished, also Raikou as either a thunderstorm or a great thunderbolt, and finally Suicune represented as a rain or a strong gale coming from the North."

"Exactly, Jon," Ivy affirmed. "I knew there should've been a connection to another trio just like this!"

"Great, so we have the treasures now applied to the legendary beasts…" Elm sat more comfortably in his chair but seemed unsatisfied with Ivy's confirmation. "But what about the rest of the legend? How do words like '_Water_' or '_Beast of the Sea_' fit in?"

"You see, this is now where I get stuck," Ivy said, also settling in to try to figure out a solution. "You said it was Ho-oh, the Rainbow Pokémon, that created those beasts, right?"

"Correct, and it was Lugia that created balance to the underwater current right?" Elm assisted.

"Correct, so it would stand to reason that Lugia and Ho-oh are opposites right?"

"Felina, I don't blame you for not knowing Johto lore as much as a native, but treating them as polar Pokémon isn't accurate," Elm began. "They both came to rest in the Ecruteak towers, each in an opposite tower as a movement to improve relationships between humans and Pokémon. However, they weren't considered opposites just for that. Truly they aren't very different from each other."

"But hold on," Ivy began. "Is it possible that they are opposites, but still connected? Maybe like peas in a pod?"

"What do you mean?"

"Jon, consider this. Let's take the story of the three legendary beasts as a basis for this argument. If the legendary beasts were actually revived Pokémon who perished in the fire of the Brass Tower, then you could say that Ho-oh has dominion over creation. Perhaps Lugia has something to do with creation as well?"

"_Hold it right there, Fel_!" Realization hit Elm like the bright sunrise in the morning. "That word, 'dominion' is perfect! You basically said that Lugia had dominion over the underwater current originating from Shamouti Island, right?"

"Right, but where are you going with this?" Ivy asked.

"You could say that Lugia has dominion over the supply of life itself, especially if you consider that all Pokémon need water to survive and water allows for primary producers like grasses and edible plants to grow!"

"I guess you could, Jon, but what does it all mean?"

"Felina," Elm spoke, his eyes lit up again as if on Christmas morning. "It's just as you said. Lugia doesn't have something to do with creation for creation's sake… it has something to do with sustaining it!"

"Go on?"

"Ho-oh has dominion over creation, but specifically, Ho-oh has the dominion over the creation of life! Lugia has dominion over sustaining creation, but even further, Lugia has dominion over the continuation of life! Lugia and Ho-oh are truly connected, maybe not quite opposites, but they are connected in that both controls a different aspect of life! Maybe not like a pod, maybe more like a… a coin!"

Professor also felt realization hit her like a train and she smiled hugely at the idea. Just as Elm's eyes lit up, Ivy's did as well.

"I get it… One controls the creation of life, the other controls the continuation of life… Both legendary Pokémon are different sides of the same coin! Both legendary Pokémon… control a different aspect of _life_!"

Professor Ivy looked to the table covered in packaged goods and tried to take controlled breaths to calm herself down. "Goodness… Jon…"

"What, Felina?" Elm asked, grinning from ear to ear.

"We really need to get to work on that research paper," she said, chuckling to her professional peer. Professor Elm chuckled long enough for it to turn into laughter and Professor Ivy joined in. The two rejoiced over their concrete theories, culminated over only one meeting for the first time.

"Oh, man," Elm said, wiping the sweat beads forming on his forehead. "Where do we take it from here, then? We could definitely write a credible paper together, but as you said, proof would be crucial."

"Jon, I have a proposal. Hear me out on this, alright?" Professor Ivy said, completely recovered from her intellectual shock.

"Sure! Anything is fair game," Elm responded.

"Do you think we could make a scientific excavation of the Burned Tower?" Ivy asked. "I think that if my template theory is correct and if your Lugia to Ho-oh relationship theory is also correct, we should find an inscription or some instruction within the burned tower that resembles the legend on Shamouti Island!"

"Wow, you're really onto something!" Elm exclaimed. "You're absolutely right. It stands to reason that there should definitely be something significantly similar to the legend of Shamouti if Lugia and Ho-oh are that interrelated."

"Do you think you can get us cleared to do a full evaluation of Burned Tower?"

"It might take a few days to approve, but I am confident that we'll have that tower in no time."

"You know, I had a feeling that we'd have a productive first meeting," Professor Ivy smiled at Professor Elm. "You've surpassed all of my expectations, Jonathan Elm. That was a superb theory of yours considering you constructed it within minutes."

"Well you know, Ms. Felina Ivy," Elm coyly replied. "You didn't do too bad yourself! It's only because of your work as a giant that I may step on your shoulder. I guess a good tan is not the only thing to discover on this island!"

"You know," Ivy began. "We don't have to start the excavation immediately, you should stay here for a day or two and soak up some rays. I'll show you all the best places around the island."

"After I send that request off to the Johto National Preservation Board of Directors, I'm up for anything. So Felina, are we having a social visit now, or what?" Elm joked.

"Tell you what, Jon," Ivy said. "While you're making that phone call, I'll get dressed into something more sun-worthy. Then it'll be a social visit."

"Sounds good to me, professor!" Elm said enthusiastically as he got up to pick up the videophone receiver. "Where shall we go after the beach?"

"I think we should go out for some dinner and talk about other things, not just research," Amidst a hushed rustle of clothing, Elm could hear Ivy speak through the bathroom door. "I'll have you know I don't really get that many guests and worse, I haven't gotten a good tan in two weeks! I need a good night out anyways, Professor Elm."

"Indeed, Professor Ivy, neither have I. This will be beneficial for the both of us," Elm said in reply, typing in the phone number for the Ecruteak City Gym operator.

_Man this is way more interesting than watching cell divisions!_ At that happy thought Elm pushed the green call button on the videophone dial pad. _Time to whip out the good old University of Celadon charm!_

**[13:45 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Sea Breeze Stone Creamery), Sinnoh Region**

Nobody was quite prepared for the organized chaos in the ice cream parlor. Certainly the manager of the store couldn't have been happier with the amount of customers at his counter, but one could only take pity at the employees flogged with orders. Usually the place was relatively calm to match its classic black and white walls checkered with retro advertisements of old drinks and long-forgotten companies. Although the Champion enjoyed the company of fans around her, no kind of training ever prepared her for the questions she received ad nausea.

"How-long-did-it-take-you-to-become-the-champion?"

"Can-I-have-your-autograph?"

"What's-your-favorite-Pokémon?"

"Can-I-please-have-your-autograph?"

"Will-show-me-your-Gastrodon?"

"Can-I-pretty-please,please,please,please,please,please,_please_-have-your-autograph?"

"Alright, alright! I'll try to get to as many of you as I can!" Cynthia said warmly before addressing the first question she had on her plate. The second question would probably have to wait.

Dawn looked around her in the parlor and counted nearly thirty trainers including their own group all in a line to get ice cream. Respectfully, she waited at the back of the line with Brock and May while Flint, Cynthia, and Ash were more in the front. Lucian deferred from the line to lean against a table and read some more.

"Gosh, I never realized how many fans Cynthia actually has!" Dawn spoke in awe. "Don't the other elite four members get this much attention, Lucian?

"Not quite, Dawn, at least not when the Champion is in my midst," Lucian looked casually up from the pages and smiled. "I'm quite out-matched here."

Just as Lucian returned to his book, Ash came back from the counter with a triple scoop vanilla, chocolate, and cookie dough, chocolate glazed waffle cone and Cynthia also came back but with a quadruple mint, strawberry, cookies and cream, and pistachio ice cream banana split.

Flint couldn't help himself from laughing as Cynthia approached. "Are you five years old? I haven't seen a desert monstrosity like that since I was a kid!"

"Flint, none of your back-sass now while I'm enjoying this," Cynthia stuck her tongue out at Flint and waved him a no-no with the sampling spoon in her hand. "Besides, your hair obviously needs some work. It looks like you had your Infernape do it for you!"

"Wha—?"

Before Flint could retaliate, Cynthia shoved her split complete with a second spoon in Flint's face, offering it to him. Flint grunted a distinct utter of appreciation and proceeded to sample some of the mint and strawberry combo.

"Thank you so much Cynthia for treating us all to ice cream!" Ash said aloud. Simultaneously, more rings of appreciation came from the score of trainers in the ice cream shop.

"Thank you, Ms. Champion!"

"You're the best, Cynthia!"

Ash looked around at all of the new faces but caught May's eye whom was just about to get her order from the counter.

"You've been so kind, Cynthia!" May called out in line. "Thank you for being so generous!"

"Oh, shucks…" Cynthia shrugged her shoulders, smiled and rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. "It's my pleasure! It's kind of fun spending some time with new trainers!"

Almost immediately after Cynthia finished her thought, a young adult-looking trainer in the entrance of the parlor audibly cleared his throat loudly enough for everyone to stop their chatter.

"Hey, you're the champion of Sinnoh, right?" The incoming man asked.

"Yes?" Cynthia blinked in surprise and felt her heart beat slightly faster in reflex. "Can I do something for you?"

The shop door closed with a silent whoosh and everyone got a glimpse of the new trainer. He had blue eyes, messy, black hair, a red newsboy hat, and wore a red silk scarf over the rest of his attire. Wearing a blue, white-striped vest atop his sky blue undershirt, a pair of cyan cargo jeans and trendy, red, streamlined shoes, the young boy approached the Champion and stopped short of her. The other trainers encircled the two people like a ring. His voice shook slightly from nervousness.

"It's truly an honor to meet you, Ms. Champion! I would really, really like to challenge you to a Pokémon battle! I mean, you know… if you're not too busy?"

The man looked like he was in his early twenties, and intrigued Cynthia. She smiled brightly and offered her hand to shake.

"That depends on what kind of battle you'd like, I suppose. What's your name, might I ask?"

Hastily, the trainer grabbed her hand with his own in a firm handshake as he chuckled lightly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I forgot to introduce myself! My name is Lucas. I'm a pretty good trainer, I guess, but I only have one Pokémon for battle—the same one I've raised since I was a kid."

Lucas noticed Cynthia's slight surprise at the news and tried to justify himself.

"Don't get me wrong, we're really good, but I always wanted to have a battle with you! It's been my dream since I was little and—"

Cynthia stopped him short with her hand and spoke eagerly.

"This is perfect, Delaine! Let's have a one on one."

Flint nearly choked on the banana he swallowed when he heard Cynthia's word choice. The entire ice cream shop went stark silent barring Flint's throaty noises as everyone paid attention to the scene unfolding in front of their eyes. As Cynthia withdrew a single Poké Ball from a compartment in her black dress, Ash couldn't help but remember Paul's own arrogant request in front of the ruins with Dialga and Palkia several months ago.

"I'd love to battle you, Lucas. I accept your challenge!"

* * *

_Dear Readers,_

Hey guys! I'm listening to the Pokémon Diamond and Pearl soundtrack as I am editing this stuff. Oh wait, by the time I got down to the end it changed to the ending themes of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Sky. Man, what a nostalgia trip. I'm getting goose bumps and teary eyed from that ending theme. What an _amazing_ portrayal of emotions. 10/10

Alright, fuck Delaine, I'm not using my own characters for this. RIP Delaine, you served your purpose when I was retarded, and now you've been replaced! Lol, have fun watching from the sidelines! Will us a better character to relate to thanks to the canon. I mean, it's not like I didn't have an image of Delaine in my head, I just don't like the idea of ever retrieving him in the future for anything.

[This is a joyous occasion! I'm happy to announce several things to you.

First off, this chapter is truly the longest thus far. Hadn't planned it so. Not to be a broken record, but this is a very thick chapter. Please feel free to tell me if parts of this are confusing or not.

Second, this chapter post marks the start of five, I repeat FIVE progressing chapters, starting from pre-battle jitters to the real deal with Volkner.

Finally, I'M GOING TO COLLEGE! Hell yes. And it's also a pretty good one in the U.S. capitol, so I'm super psyched. For you, this probably means much more writing, but if I like college too much, you'll know pretty soon that it means even less writing. It could swing to either extreme.

Also… you reviewers are amazing, just absolutely spectacular. I'm so appreciative of everything you've all said! You guys definitely make me want to continue writing. I'll even answer your questions and maybe post a review on your story! Spread the word (I guess? haha)!] – Two years ago

* * *

_Story Notes:_

N/A

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

Uploaded, 06/08/11

| Couldn't work in advships/legends will become very important/currently working on pre-battle/still deciding on gym battle flow/decided on Cynthia's/chapter much too long but necessary for perspective breaks |

original title, "Debrief, Part I"

RE: edit. 09/12/11

original title, "Confrontation"

RE: edit. 01/28/13


	20. Hidden Legends

**Chapter Fourteen: Hidden Legends  
**

Needless to say, Lucas, the incoming challenger, and every single person inside of the ice cream store was completely stunned. It wasn't every day that a regional Champion accepted a field challenge. Almost immediately, excited whispers floated in the air carrying words of encouragement, doubt, and absurd gambling on the outcome.

**[13:45 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Sea Breeze Stone Creamery), Sinnoh Region**

"What—really?" Lucas asked, not entirely sure if he heard correctly.

"Really? Really, Cynthia?" Flint said, still recovering from the surprise banana lodged in his throat. Despite that setback he tried to dissuade Cynthia form continuing. "We've got a gym match to go to and you've got ice cream to finish!"

"Well," Cynthia turned around and gave Flint a glare that paralyzed him. Almost snarling, she spoke softly, "Then you'll just have to finish it for me, won't you, Flint?"

Flint couldn't move, and watched helplessly as Cynthia pushed open the door of the shop, leading Lucas and the entire spectating crowd with her.

"Why me…" Flint groaned.

"This is going to be good," Lucian said, closing his book. "I'd suggest we follow them."

"Oh, wow!" May yelped. "I can't wait to see what sort of Pokémon Cynthia is going to use! She's probably a total expert!"

"More than that, I'm curious as to what Pokémon Lucas is going to use," Brock wondered aloud.

Dawn was confused. "What do you mean?"

"Think about it," Brock said. "You remember when Paul challenged Cynthia to a full six on six battle, right? He lost miserably even though he had powerful Pokémon and prepared a foolproof strategy to overcome her Garchomp. I wonder if this Lucas guy is any better."

"Who cares what Pokémon will be used?" Ash didn't seem to be thinking about any of this. Instead, he pumped his arm up, excited to watch another battle against Cynthia. "Let's just get outside as fast as we can or else we'll get a bad spot! Let's go, Pikachu!"

All of the rest of the original group watched Ash try to force his way through with utmost disbelief.

"Let's make sure he doesn't do something rash," May advised, taking another spoonful of her desert. At that, Brock, Dawn, Lucian, and Flint followed May outside to find Ash.

**[13:55 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Gym), Sinnoh Region**

Volkner paced the boundaries of the battle arena in the coliseum section of his gym complex. As he did so, he pondered how many challengers had come before him, remembering a select few who truly surprised him in battle. Even more vividly, he recalled the few badges he dispensed to those deserving trainers. He then remembered how many badges he handed out without thinking twice—a number plentiful enough to fill the coliseum seats several times over.

Per protocol, the house lights were dimmed to conserve on electricity because Volkner knew just how many Watts the complex consumed. He traced the white boundary line, dug his hands into his pockets and wondered why he spent so much time wasting away just to renovate the place—and then to not use it. When he got to the median of the field, he walked straight into the centerpiece inscribed circle, and stopped, letting himself revel in his present condition, as the most feared Gym Leader of the Sinnoh region.

"I think it's time I called everyone out, eh?" Volkner asked himself, placing a hand on the holstered balls secured to his belt.

He took one last look at his gym, admiring the structure and the memories it contained, and finally pressed a single button. In a brilliant display of light, each of the industrial brights flashed on full, illuminating the stands, the field, and for some reason, Volkner's passion for Pokémon battles. In one swift motion, Volkner detached all of the Poké Balls from his belt and released them.

"Come on out everybody!"

Several simultaneous explosions of light later, six Pokémon appeared before Volkner, slightly confused and even a little nervous. It had been a while since they saw Volkner look something other than bored and grouchy. He caught each Poké Ball as it released itself and reattached each one to his belt for safekeeping. He looked on to his teammates for a little and spoke in a cheery and determined voice.

"Hey guys!" Volkner announced in a booming voice which resonated along the complex walls. "It's so great to see you all! I wanted to call everyone out so that I could speak at once. Come around closer."

With little hesitation, all of Volkner's Pokémon formed a makeshift semi-circle and listened intently as Volkner sat on the ground in a comfortable position. Volkner looked on to see his teammates and counted off each one as he looked. He smiled at Raichu, his first Pokémon, Octillery, his memento of the Johto journeys, Jolteon, a gift from the Day-Care couple in Solaceon Town as an Eevee, Ambipom, from when he got lost in Eterna Forrest, Luxray, his most recent capture, and finally Electivire, a token of friendship with Flint.

Volkner started his speech.

"You guys… the first thing I want to do is apologize," Volkner began. "I have been very unfair to all of you with how I've been acting and how I've treated you. I'm really sorry about being moody, being angry, and being an all-around jerk these past few months. I know it's no excuse, but ever since people stopped challenging me, I took less interest in battling—I just didn't realize that I was hurting you guys in the process. I'm really, really sorry… can you forgive me?"

Suddenly, each of Volkner's Pokémon flashed the greatest smiles they had in a long time, overjoyed to hear their trainer starting to get out of his depression, and immediately jumped on him in a great dog pile. Volkner laughed and rubbed each of his Pokémon affectionately as best as he could under the weight of six fully mature Pokémon.

"Haha! Stop it you guys, that tickles! Waah!" Volkner cried out, half laughing, half in stitches. "Oh man… it's good to be back you guys, I've missed you!"

Slowly but surely, Volkner's Pokémon released their trainer and pulled away in bristling spirits. Volkner got up off the gym floor, brushed off the dirt from his pants and then made his final announcement.

"You're going to love this, guys!" Volkner said. Each of his six Pokémon listened with rapt attention.

"We have a _challenger_! Isn't that great?" A chorus of elated Pokémon sounded off instantly and Volkner continued. "You know what that means right? We get to use all of the gym today! The challenger is coming in a few hours, so that will give us enough time to warm up, do a little sparing, and get plenty of rest for the battle. Sounds good?"

Every one of his Pokémon saluted eagerly and awaited further orders, to which Volkner gladly gave.

"Alright team! Let's go with warm-up variation two. I want Octillery and Raichu on station one, Jolteon and Luxray on station two, and Ambipom and Electivire on station three. I'll take station four. You ready?"

Each Pokémon gave their affirmative salute, practically giddy with happiness at the prospect of a real battle once again. As everyone ran off to find their miscellaneous work-out equipment and stretching aides, Volkner also brought out several bouncing balls, rubber bands, and other apparatuses to help.

_I hope we finish up before the press gets here…_ Volkner thought to himself as he dragged the resistance bands out onto the field.

"Ah, never mind the press! It's just so good to be back," Volkner said to himself, grinning with excitement.

**[13:47 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Sea Breeze Stone Creamery), Sinnoh Region**

Ash and the rest of his friends successfully navigated through the flash crowd of trainers and managed to get a decent view of the scene in front of them. The trainers lined up alongside the restaurants, gift shops, and other stores in order to give Cynthia and Lucas enough battle room on the lateral road. Cynthia was facing north and Lucas was facing south, completely parallel to the spectating trainers with both opponents standing in the middle of the main road connected to the docks. The sea crashed against the edge of the pier and the sun was angled to the west, floating over the ocean. The atmosphere was absolutely charged with excitement. Even though the ice cream delights melted in the midday sun, each trainer was more than happy just to watch the Sinnoh Champion battle.

"I can't _wait_ to see this!" Ash said ecstatically. "This will be perfect to get me psyched up for my gym battle!"

All of Ash's Pokémon remained outside of their balls since lunch but waited outside of the ice cream shop for Ash to return. Now they gathered near him, itching to get this battle started. Pikachu hopped off Ash's shoulder and took a seat on Grotle's back, next to Buizel, who nodded in return, waiting for the battle to unfold. May, Dawn, Flint, and Brock on the other hand tried to finish their ice creams as soon as possible. Lucian approached the center of the field as a referee.

Murmurs of approval, shock, and further absurd bets wafted throughout the spectators as Lucian stopped in between Lucas and Cynthia. Both combatants looked confident in their abilities and smirked at each other, the same victorious thought playing through their minds.

"Is the challenger, Lucas of Sunyshore City, and the defender, Cynthia of the Sinnoh League Championship ready?" Lucian called out to the trainers.

"Wait, Lucian, I have an idea to make this more interesting!" Cynthia said, a devilish grin snaking across her face. "Lucas, what do you say to a bet, between you and me?"

"Sounds good to me!" Lucas raised an eyebrow in surprise but kept his composure. "However, I'll get to name my terms of the bet! Is that fair?"

"Yes it is!" Cynthia turned toward the spectators and shouted out. "Let me make a bet with you! If I win, everybody here will come with me to the Sunyshore City Gym and spectate Volkner's return with a gym battle between him, and Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, winner of the Orange League Championship, and top 8 in the Johto and Hoenn leagues!"

An enormous applause erupted from the spectators. They couldn't believe their ears, number one that Volkner was actually going to battle someone after such a long hiatus, and second that it was used as a wager in a bet. They cheered shouting their approval of Volkner and promises to spectate the next event.

"And what are your terms if you win?" Cynthia shouted to Lucas.

"If I win, Ms. Champion, we'll all go to Volkner's gym and witness his return, but afterward…" Lucas also smiled a devilish grin except with a vibe of playfulness. "You and I go on a date!"

"WHAT?" Flint nearly dropped his Sunday in utter shock and terror, his jaw hanging wide open and his eyes dilated so widely it pained him. The crowd however cheered, roared with laughter, and rang in a chorus of wolf-whistling. Brock was in tears, howling instead at his misfortune.

"Haha! Cynthia's gonna have a run for her money!" Dawn said, utterly shocked but enjoying herself. "But you know, this really isn't a bet at all! Cynthia wins either way!"

Brock cried louder than before and Flint actually dropped his ice cream, paralyzed with indignation. May giggled at Brock and Flint's antics and agreed with Dawn.

"This is going to be great! That Lucas's got guts, right?" May mused. "I wish a good looking guy asked me out on a date like that!"

Ash swallowed his last spoonful of ice cream with a satisfying 'ahh' and threw away his cup. He only just joined in the conversation and heard some strange words being thrown around.

"What's a date?"

His entire team of Pokémon whirled around in shock, Brock and Flint managed to give him a wailing look of incredulity, and Dawn and May simply let their foreheads drop into their hands in frustration.

"Was it something I said?" Ash asked, wondering why he was getting so many weird stares from everybody.

"You'll understand later, Ash," May sighed, laughing internally at how immature the trainer was at times. "Probably in ten years, give or take a few…"

Ash was still perplexed but decided to shrug it off and returned his attention to Cynthia, who just finished laughing in good spirits at the wager.

"Lucas," Cynthia said in an almost menacing tone. "I'll just have you know that it's been years since someone asked me out, especially how you just did! But you know what?"

"What?" Lucas asked, curious to find out if his ploy worked or not.

"You're a real catch!" Cynthia smiled. "I accept your terms! Do you accept mine?"

Amidst even more wails coming from Brock and what sounded like a few cracked knuckles from Flint, Lucas pumped his fist into the air, celebrating his first victory.

"Thank you so much Cynthia! I accept your terms!"

"Awesome sause…" Cynthia smiled and then put on her battle face, ready to win. "Then let's start this battle."

After the crowd that gathered along the shops settled down slightly, Lucian began announcing the conditions of the battle.

"This will be a one on one match between Lucas of Sunyshore City and Cynthia of the Sinnoh League Championship! Both trainers are not allowed to make substitutions. The field is a publicly owned avenue, so collateral damage will be minimized. Both trainers are restricted from using terrain-altering Ground attacks lest they be disqualified. There is a fifteen minute time limit. Are the trainers ready?"

"Yes!" Cynthia and Lucas chorused together with fighting spirit.

Lucian raised both of his arms to set them off.

"Release your Pokémon!"

"Go, Magmortar buddy!" Lucas threw his choice Poké Ball into the air with all his might, releasing the creature inside into battle. "Let's win this!"

As the light dissipated, a stocky, red, orange, pink, and yellow flamed Pokémon emerged, raising its cannons toward Cynthia with a sporting growl.

"Magmoor…"

"A Fire type, huh?" Cynthia clenched her Poké Ball tightly in her hand and threw it gracefully above her, releasing her Pokémon right beside her. "To me, my friend!"

Without warning, Ash felt a massive wave of energy come over him like sea water from yesterday. Even before the summoning light vanished from the Poké Ball, Ash knew what species it was. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but for some reason he felt an energy wave similar to the one he experienced during his time in the land of Rota.

"She has a Lucario? This is gonna be so awesome!" Ash yelled out from the crowd. May and Brock looked at Ash wondering what he meant.

Every one of the onlookers turned their heads toward Ash wondering what he was talking about, and gawked when they saw Cynthia's choice. Sure enough, a Lucario materialized right beside Cynthia.

A tattered pink sash trailed in the wind as the Lucario held onto it in her right paw. Lucario took the sash by its ends and brought it around her neck, tightening the knot around the back. Then she tensed herself into a fighting stance, raising her right paw towards her jaw and extending her left arm straight in front of her.

_This is interesting…_ Cynthia thought. Cynthia noticed Ash's outburst as well, but did her best to hide her shock. _Ash never showed signs of sensitivity before…_

"Laou?" Lucario asked Cynthia in surprise.

"Lucario, I know you're my newest team member and that you haven't battled much with me, but I also know that you're a real fighter. I'm sure you'll give it your best shot, right?" Cynthia added with a smile.

Cynthia's Lucario nodded and responded eagerly.

"I've got to say, Cynthia, even after watching all of your championship battles on television, I had no idea you had a Lucario!" Lucas said after watching the scene in front of him.

"And you wouldn't have!" Cynthia replied. "Allow me to introduce the most recent addition to my family, Lucario! This is the first time I've let her battle in public, but I warn you: do _not _underestimate her abilities."

"That Pokémon looks really cool… I've never seen such a fierce girl fighter before!" Lucas whispered softly. "Are you ready, Magmortar? Let's do this!"

"The countdown starts now!" Lucian raised both of his arms ready to set them off. "Begin the battle!"

"Magmortar, use Flamethrower on Lucario!" Lucas shouted.

Magmortar responded quickly by raising both of its cannons, already charged with red-hot flames. With a mighty roar, Magmortar ejected the attack directly towards Lucario.

"Lucario! Dodge and use Aura Sphere!" Cynthia commanded as the flames rushed closer.

"Laou, la!" Lucario grunted as she side-stepped the flames. With careful arm and hand placement, Lucario centered her palms and concentrated intensely. Slowly but surely, the appendages on her head began vibrating and normalized as a turquoise sphere of energy formed in between her palms.

"Hold on a second!" Ash spoke, surprised at the sight. While Magmortar gathered its bearings from releasing Flamethrower and Lucario carefully formed her attack, Ash noticed something peculiar. "That Aura Sphere is different!"

"What?" May asked, temporarily distracted from the battle. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know…" Ash didn't know how to put it into words. "Something feels very different about that Aura Sphere than the one used back in the Tree of Beginning!"

May didn't know what to say, the attacks looked exactly the same to her. Lucas on the other hand seized the opportunity to charge up, realizing that this particular Lucario was taking a longer time to form its Aura Sphere than most others would.

"Magmortar, use Sunny Day to power yourself!"

Magmortar likewise concentrated, except this time concentrating on its left cannon. Almost immediately, a blinding bright yellow orb of energy developed in the cannon and was fired into the sky towards the blistering sun.

"Mag… moortar!"

_Sunny Day will take effect almost as soon as Lucario releases her Aura Sphere, _Cynthia thought as she watched the orb ascend into the sky, knowing full well of its consequences. _We'll just have to blitz him before he can use a Fire type attack. Oh, if only her spheres generated normally!_

"Lucario! Do it now!" Cynthia commanded.

Lucario opened her eyes and threw the Aura Sphere with all her might towards Magmortar, who just finished launching Sunny Day. Lucas expected the attack to come at some point, so he was prepared.

"Magmortar, smash that attack with Brick Break!" Lucas shouted with a wave of his hand.

Without a moment's hesitation, Magmortar chopped his right cannon directly across the incoming attack, nullifying it. However, neither Magmortar nor Lucas anticipated Lucario sprinting in, her arms ready for physical combat.

"Jump and use Bone Rush!" Cynthia commanded, smiling in her challenger's direction.

With a deafening thud, Lucario's materialized Bone Rush attack connected with Magmortar's skull, knocking the wind out of the surprised Pokémon for a few seconds. Lucario landed neatly, several feet in front of Magmortar who grunted from the pain searing through his head.

"Lemme tell you something Lucas," Cynthia took the liberty of exacerbating Lucas's predicament. "I'm very impressed that your Magmortar was able to deflect my Lucario's Aura Sphere, but don't even bother trying to get me to attack your Pokémon with a head-on attack like Close Combat. I won't fall for it!"

Ash suddenly felt extremely humiliated at Cynthia's words. Although she didn't know it, Ash battled against Paul in a full six on six battle and made the same mistake Cynthia knew to avoid. Ash's Pokémon watched Ash apprehensively, knowing that the battle was a huge blow to his esteem, but Ash smiled as best as he could, nodding that he would do better the next time. Dawn and Brock both heaved sighs of relief.

"So you knew about Magmortar's Flame Body ability… I guess you are the champion, after all," Lucas gritted his teeth and grinned at Cynthia's words, allowing Magmortar enough time to recover before launching another attack. "No matter, this battle's just getting started! Magmortar, use SolarBeam!"

_That Magmortar is at a really, really high level… and I can see the sun starting to intensify already!_ Cynthia frowned, knowing that something like this would happen, but before she could think of a strategy, she noticed her Pokémon already began forming an Aura Sphere in retaliation.

"No! Lucario, there's no time for that attack! Use Double Team!"

Reluctantly it seemed, Lucario dissipated the attack and the glowing sphere vanished, only to be replaced by a quickly repeating image of Lucario appearing all around Magmortar. Magmortar didn't realize the target's change of position and released SolarBeam straight ahead, shooting through a clone off into the distance, dissipating harmlessly over the ocean.

Lucas looked around and noticed that Lucario only made duplicate copies on the road and along the docks to his right—nowhere near the onlooking trainers or customers to his left. He knew there was only one attack suitable for this situation. Suddenly Cynthia shouted out to her Pokémon.

"Now charge your Aura Sphere!" Menacingly, each Lucario copy individually began focusing its appendages at different times than the one next to it, with glowing spheres forming in each of their palms. Lucas had to admit, even if it was only a clever illusion, Cynthia's Double Team was in a class of its own.

"Magmortar! Prepare for a right semi-circle shape! When I give the signal, release _that_ attack!" Lucas commanded.

His Magmortar dutifully turned around and nodded towards his trainer. It turned around again and gathered as much energy into his cannons as possible, ready to release it when ordered. Within seconds, both cannons contained a visible mass of white-hot flames, restrained only by Magmortar's will.

"I don't know what attack you're planning to use, Lucas, but we'll finish you off before you can use it!" Cynthia said already growing worried, but she didn't let any of it show through her façade. "Lucario, release Aura Sphere!"

Lucas watched on the defensive as dozens of copy Lucario clones simultaneously released their devastating spheres upon Magmortar. Not a split second before any of the Aura Spheres made contact, Lucas bellowed out his attack.

"Lava Plume, now!"

It was Cynthia's turn to defend and her eyes widened in horror in response, suddenly aware of what those white hot flames could mean for Lucario.

"Jump, Lucario! Get away from those flames!"

Not a second later, Magmortar locked both of its cannons through its center and unleashed the attack, sweeping both of its arms in a mirrored sinusoidal motion to its sides, releasing a wide sea of supercharged flames across the battlefield like a shock wave of fire. Every Lucario clone vanished as a result and the battlefield suddenly became unbearably hot, beads of sweat dripping down Cynthia's forehead and Lucas's neck. Any of the spectators who hadn't finished their ice cream before deeply regretted it.

When the white-hot flames dissipated, Lucario was nowhere to be found. All of the viewers wondered aloud where Lucario went, its presence seemingly vanished from the field. Suddenly Ash felt another wave of intense energy, this time revealing Lucario's location.

"I can feel it…" Ash said quietly, receiving stares from his traveling party who were all wondering what he was talking about. "Lucario is falling from above!"

Just as Ash predicted before, everyone looked up to the sky and saw that Lucario had indeed been hit by the Lava Plume attack, and instead of jumping to avoid it uneventfully, a great burn mark on its right leg was evident, causing the Steel type Pokémon to loose balance mid-air and tumble to the ground out of control. The crowd gasped in awe and fear, watching the Pokémon fall.

"Lucario! Use what I've taught you and recover!" Cynthia yelled out. "You can do it!"

Lucario was falling very rapidly and only barely heard Cynthia's cry, wincing in pain at the thought of what was coming next. Lucas saw his chance at victory.

"Magmortar! Time your Brick Break just right and intercept that Lucario! Smash her into the ground!"

Magmortar ran as quickly as it could to the spot where it seemed Lucario would ultimately land. Cynthia continued to cry out words of encouragement, but as Lucario fell, its back towards the ground, it was apparent that Magmortar's attack would connect without fail.

"Go Magmortar!" Lucas yelled. "This is it!"

With a mighty roar, Magmortar stopped short of Lucario's shadow and raised his right cannon. Then just as Lucario's back fell below the tip of the cannon, Magmortar unleashed his Brick Break attack upon Lucario's stomach, driving the Steel type into the concrete road, a deafening cough coming from Lucario's jaws.

"Lucario!" Cynthia yelled, terrified at the amount of damage that Lucario took. Cynthia looked on as Lucario struggled to pry Magmortar's cannon off of its gut, but to no avail. Seeing enough of the battle, Cynthia called out to Lucian, "Lucian, please call the battle off!"

A great hush befell the entire group of spectators, Lucas, Lucian, Flint, Dawn, Brock, May, and Ash. A regional champion withdrawing from a public challenge was unheard of, even unthinkable.

"C-call off the match?" Dawn repeated slowly to herself, "What is Cynthia doing?"

Immediately, murmurs rustled through the crowd and shouts of encouragement to continue came. Lucian couldn't ignore the evidence in front of his eyes—Lucario clearly hadn't fainted.

"Cynthia, why are you forfeiting?" Lucian protested. "You told Lucas you'd have a one on one!"

"I know!" Cynthia tried to explain, suddenly at a loss for words. "I just… I can't… Lucario!"

With a deafening roar, Lucario cried out to the sky in agony, attempting to use the last bit of her strength to defeat Magmortar. Cynthia looked on helplessly as the crowd cheered to continue and Lucas looked only eager to finish the match.

"Lucario…"

Suddenly, Ash felt a great dizzy spell once more, followed immediately by an urge to throw up his lunch and ice cream.

"Agh! What's going on …?"

"Ash!" May shouted as she noticed Ash clenching his stomach tightly. She shook Ash lightly with great worry. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Ash tried to respond to the concerned voice he heard, but his vision and hearing kept fading in and out.

"It's… it… agh…"

At that, his body slumped backwards onto the store's window pane and Ash lost all sensual connection to his vision, hearing, and all other senses. As he closed his eyes to the sight of his Pokémon calling out to him, he thought he was going to die. However, not a split second later he regained all of his senses but instead of seeing Pikachu, May or anyone else, he saw a completely different scene in front of him.

**[~~:~~ P.M.] Iron Island (Oasis Ridge), Sinnoh Region**

"Not again…" Ash groaned, wondering why the same phenomenon happened to him _twice_ in _twenty-four hours_. With one blink of his eye he saw that he was standing next to a towering and foreboding rocky cliff adjacent to a pristine lake. The full moon was out and illuminated the scene in front of him. Ash squinted his eyes and focused once more to find a battle between two blue-colored Pokémon.

As he walked closer along the edge of the lake, he noticed that one of them obviously had the upper hand as the other was being beat down mercilessly. As he looked closer, letting his eyes adjust to the moonlit battle, he noticed they were the same species, both blue-bodied with black feet, and characteristic appendages used to focus energy. Unmistakably, it was a hand-to-hand combat battle between two Riolu. Ash noticed that one of the Riolu was wearing something.

"Why does that stronger Riolu have a pink sash around its neck?" He asked himself. Suddenly, Ash felt another wave of energy come crashing over him, and realization hit.

"I get it," Ash said to himself. "This must be a vision, just like how that other Riolu once showed me the Lucario Kingdom. But why now?"

As if answering his question, the Riolu wearing the pink sash around its neck started speaking. It stood tall and proud while the other tried with all of its might to get up off of the harsh gravel ground. As he spoke, Ash saw the pink sash Riolu growl with a terrifying demeanor.

"You are strong, but you are just trying to trick me. Letting your guard down to lure me into showing you mercy? I don't trust you one bit. I don't trust any of you one bit!" the pink-sashed Riolu said with contempt. "You and those so-called friends of yours back in the forest all think I'm some sort of disease! I'm not a joke!"

"I don't get it, why is that Riolu so angry? What forest is he talking about—all I see are mountains!" Ash was more than ordinarily confused. "What's with the pink sash… wait… what the heck? _How can I understand them_?"

Just to check that he wasn't somehow dreaming or anything bizarre, Ash tried pinching himself on the cheek. Unfortunately for him, he felt all of the pain as if he were still in Sunyshore City.

"Oww… this is not like those flashbacks that other Riolu gave me back then with Pokémon Ranger Kellyn," Ash said to himself. "This is already much longer than the ones he gave me. But I did understand that Riolu's speech, I guess? I wonder what's going on."

The scene played itself out, despite Ash trying to sort out his situation. The Riolu who was beaten on the floor finally managed to stand up, but she looked sorely bruised. She looked at the other Riolu with the most hurt expression she could muster.

"What are you talking about 'forest friends'?" She coughed out. "Where... where's the forest? We're on Iron Island! And how can you be so cruel? I'm trying to help you and all you can do is demand me to fight? Is this… how you treat all the girls in your life?"

"I wouldn't know," the other Riolu responded. "You're the only female in my life. Don't bother asking. My mother is gone."

Ash couldn't be more perplexed, but he stayed silent, watching the scene anyway. Clearly though, this revelation that the pink sash Riolu lost his mother struck the female Riolu very strongly.

"I… I'm truly, truly sorry to hear that, you know… but that doesn't excuse you from being so mean!" She spat accusingly. "We're not bad Pokémon like you think! You have no right to just attack me… I'm sure your mother wouldn't want you to be like this!"

The other Riolu was not pleased to hear this and immediately charged the girl with a Quick Attack at full speed.

"You have _no right_ to talk about my mother that way!"

The girl Riolu didn't have any time to dodge. The pink sash Riolu slid into the dirt and small jagged rocks, swept the girl Riolu's feet off the ground using Low Kick, and followed through by landing a clean skyward snap-kick to her stomach, causing her to cough up fluid and clutch her gut as she flew through the air. As the girl came falling to the ground, the pink sash Riolu raised his right arm and punched her straight into the ground with Force Palm, depriving her of breath and any other means of escape.

"No way…" Ash said watching in pure shock as the female Riolu was slammed into the hard bedrock. "That's the same kind of move that Magmortar used just now! Maybe that's why she's projecting these thoughts that only I can pick up!"

The pink sash Riolu kept his palm pressed into the girl's gut, causing her great pain. As she tried to open her eyes through the searing agony of her body, she looked into the other Riolu's eyes and realized how cold and empty they seemed. She couldn't help but wonder if this Pokémon was lonely, even damaged beyond repair.

"Why… why are you doing this…" The female Riolu asked desperately, feeling her stomach collapse under the pressure of the paw pressing into her gut. "Why…"

Ash watched in solemn fright seeing two wild Pokémon fight so savagely. He couldn't help but feel his insides get torn up in empathy.

"I really want to help, but this is a vision! I can't change it!" He said to himself in frustration. "I'll just have to see why Cynthia's Lucario is projecting this!"

Eventually, the Riolu wearing the pink sash released his palm and backed away from the pained Pokémon who threw a violent fit of coughs, trying to catch her breath.

"You can't help me. No one can help me," he said bitterly. "I've seen this world for what it is and I don't see any reason worth living anymore. I look upon your so-called 'friends' who always make fun of me and call me names… and I wonder? What's the point of them living either? If my mother didn't deserve to live, then there isn't a reason for anyone to deserve to live. I'm no different, and you're no different."

As he turned to walk away, the other Riolu coughed heavily and managed to support herself on all fours, panting as she stabilized herself.

"I… just want… to help you… there is meaning in living… there is meaning in your life… I know it!" She shouted defiantly, knowing full well that the other Riolu could, without warning, easily kill her in a fit of rage.

"Hmph," Surprisingly, the other Riolu stopped walking away. He spat on the ground to the side of him and scoffed. "If you know its meaning so well, do me the pleasure of educating me so that I too may know. Go on. Tell me. What's life's meaning?"

"I…" The other Riolu coughed again, fully defeated. After a few more exasperated breaths, she responded, "I don't know. But I'm sure you will… find it… somehow…"

After a few more coughs, the Riolu with the pink sash silently undid the knot that kept the sash around his neck. He turned around to face the other Riolu a few feet behind him.

"Become my rival. Maybe then my life will have meaning." At that he threw the sash on the ground beside the other Riolu. "This was my mother's. Take this. I don't see a point in keeping it around me any longer."

The female Riolu watched at a complete loss for what to do. She saw the sash float through the air and land silently on the rocky ground next to her and looked back to the Riolu who nearly killed her.

_He said forest friends... _She thought. _There is no forest on Iron Island... what is wrong with him? _

"Hehe. You know, if you become my rival, perhaps my life will have meaning" The male Riolu spoke. "I will get stronger and stronger than I've ever been. Maybe then I will have lived. I hope for your sake you will be a more worthy adversary than tonight."

As the male Riolu made more paces into the thick of the forest, the female Riolu coughed again, obviously in terrible pain, and reached her paw out to grab the pink sash. When that little strip of cloth rested in her paw, the young girl finally collapsed from the effort.

Ash was at a loss for words. The next thing he knew, the moonlit mountainous scenery swirled in front of him, his stomach lurched, and the night sounds vanished, all to be violently replaced by a feeling of intense heat, feeling himself upright against the concrete, and a return to Magmortar pinning down Lucario.

"What is going on…" Ash asked himself groggily.

**[14:02 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Seaport), Sinnoh Region**

Ash focused his eyes harder on the scene in front of him and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He noticed Dawn, May, Pikachu, and the rest of his Pokémon crowded around him then rose from his slumped position. As he stood up, he realized that he was back in Sunyshore and that the vision was over.

"Ash, what happened?" May asked full of worry. "You just suddenly collapsed for no reason at all!"

"You really scared us, you know!" Dawn agreed. "Did you have a heat stroke or something?"

"Pikapi?" Pikachu squeaked, climbing onto Ash's shoulder to check if he was still the same trainer he knew.

"I'm fine, May, Dawn, and Pikachu…" Ash said slowly. "But now I know where that pink sash comes from."

Everyone looked at Ash with totally bewildered expressions. They exchanged glances of sheer worry that Ash had lost his mind. Ash leaned into his knees and finally stood upright once again.

"I'll explain later," Ash said with a slight cough. "Good thing I didn't throw up my lunch…"

Still, Lucas's Magmortar kept Cynthia's Lucario completely pinned down on the concrete street, keeping the pressure on both of her arms and her torso.

"Neither side has discontinued battling!" Lucian announced quickly. "The time remaining is three minutes… mark!"

"Lucario!" Cynthia cried out. "You don't have to do this!"

Instead of responding to her, Lucario growled even more fiercely at the Magmortar on top of her. Clearly Lucario had no intention of backing down even in this situation.

"Laou… Laouragh!"

"Lucario…" Cynthia whispered softly. She just couldn't bear the sight of her Pokémon under such stress and simply hoped the best, knowing her Pokémon wouldn't listen to a word of reason at this point. "Why are you always like this?"

"Alright, Magmortar! Since they're not giving up, neither will we!" Lucas said, knowing that this was his chance. "Charge up your Overheat and let's wrap this up!"

Surely enough, a red tinged white ball began forming in the center of Magmortar's mouth with rapidly increasing luminosity. The crowd murmured amongst themselves apprehensively wondering if Cynthia, the Sinnoh Champion, would actually fall right before their eyes to a street challenger.

Cynthia was at a complete loss as she looked at her Pokémon struggle under the pressure of Magmortar's sheer weight and dreaded the impending inferno soon to be released. She practically begged her Lucario to stop the battle.

"Please… please, Lucario!"

Lucas called the final shot.

"This is it, Magmortar! Use Overheat!"

As some of the onlookers covered their eyes in sheer freight, Lucas kept his solid composure and Cynthia widened her eyes in terrified silence to watch the attack unfold. Magmortar raised his head, containing the fiery orb and then in a single swift motion, swung its head straight down into the concrete, releasing the Overheat flames.

"Lucario!" Ash yelled out in reflex. "Wait… what?"

Flames rushed out of Magmortar's gaping mouth at incredible speeds but for some reason they were not making contact with Lucario at all. With an intense growl, Lucario's eyes glowed an eerie light blue and the flames of Overheat slammed into some sort of invisible barrier protecting Lucario, forcing the flames to jet out in all directions except straight downward.

"What?" Lucas watched Magmortar's attack seemingly backfire and fan out in utter shock. "What, what is going on? Cynthia didn't even order an attack!"

Cynthia released the breath she held in preparation and stood up with her back straight, relieved that Lucario didn't receive the attack. Despite this small victory, she was saddened that her Pokémon had given into rage. Her eyes narrowed in sorrowful understanding as the greatest wave of flames issued against the invisible barrier.

"Lucario, I'm so sorry…" Cynthia whispered to herself. "I only meant the best for you. I've been a terrible trainer…"

"What's going on?" May wondered aloud as several jets of fire shot up skyward in front of her, "Is Lucario using some kind of attack to deflect Overheat?"

"I think she is, May, but why didn't Cynthia order an attack?" Dawn agreed, but looked upon the battle noticeably unsettled by the lack of orders.

"It's Psychic," Brock said, finally managing to compose himself for a moment. He furrowed his browed and eyed the situation carefully to be sure. "Lucario is using Psychic in order to create a barrier in front of herself. I have no idea why Cynthia is just standing there though! Something doesn't feel right!"

Ash looked upon the battlefield and listened in on Brock's explanation and everyone's questions. As Magmortar's attack subsided and the flames vanished, Ash realized the situation was only clear to him because of the vision he saw. At that moment, Ash realized that even Cynthia had no idea why Lucario was disobeying orders.

Lucas clenched his fist in frustration, feeling cheated out of a clean victory. He heard Magmortar panting heavily and knew that he couldn't use Overheat again.

"Magmortar, switch to Flamethrower!" Lucas ordered still. "We can still win this!"

Magmortar raised his head again as if loosing another Overheat, except this time he brought his head down much more quickly to release his attack. However, Magmortar's head froze at a forty-five degree angle and remained static.

"Magmortar! What's wrong? Why aren't you using Flamethrower?" Lucas asked his Pokémon, wondering why he suddenly stopped his Fire attack. Slowly but surely, a thin, light blue light surrounded Magmortar and just slightly lifted him off of Lucario's body, allowing her to finally breathe and break free of Magmortar's full body lock.

"Oh no…" Lucas realized why both of his last attacks failed. "That Lucario can use Psychic! This is bad!"

Lucario managed to stand up on the road, her eyes still glowing with light, and raised both of her arms simultaneously towards the sky, both palms facing upward. As Lucario backed up closer towards Cynthia, though paying her no mind, Magmortar rose and rose, higher and higher off the ground until he was easily above all of the stores and restaurants along the Sunyshore docks. Without warning, Lucario then released her mental grasp of Magmortar, letting him plummet from the sky towards the concrete ground. As Magmortar fell, Lucario charged towards the landing spot, her right palm ablaze with energy and her left palm supporting it. Without orders, Lucario ran in with a charged Force Palm.

Cynthia looked up slightly knowing that her Lucario set Magmortar up for the same attack Magmortar executed only moments ago. After confirming what she already knew, she resigned herself, letting her eyes drop back down to the cement road in front of her. She knew that there was no way to command her Pokémon to stop or do otherwise as it rushed to intercept Magmortar with its attack.

Without seeing it, Cynthia felt the shockwave of Lucario's Force Palm hit Magmortar squarely in the chest only inches away from the ground after its fall. Cynthia heard Lucas's Magmortar skid on the harsh ground towards him and knew what the verdict was. After hearing Lucian proclaim that the battle was won by the defending champion, Cynthia closed her eyes tightly trying to fight off her emotions.

Amidst the hoarse murmurs of Lucas and Magmortar and the avid cheers from the spectators, Cynthia quietly took Lucario's Poké Ball and enlarged it. Her Lucario turned away from Lucas's direction and faced Cynthia, her eyes glowing with unexplained malice. Cynthia felt a shiver run down her spine as she retracted Lucario.

"You did well, Lucario. T-take a long rest… I'm…"

"I'm so sorry."

* * *

_Dear Readers,_

Yo, so the reason I had to change these titles is because they didn't fit a theme. Furthermore, the titles didn't even accurately portray the contents of the chapter. The chapter before this one was called 'Confrontation' to be concluded by this one called 'Resolution'. Even though the theme between the two words fits the story, the connotation of last chapter was not about any conflict at all. This way the chapters are more accurately reflected by their titles.

Now, I'll actually go ahead and give Cynthia's Lucario's backstory in more detail in the coming chapters. I intended there to be another story to supplement this one, but I guess with my track record that's a _really, really __shit_idea. Having said that everything will be revealed. I am using this backstory to dive deeper into the realm of Pokémon in their natural state.

[Quasi long chapter yes, and even more confusing. I wonder if the only normal chapter I'll make is the gym chapter. Haha, keep reading! Thanks for the juicy reviews as usual! I really appreciate the longer ones, hint, hint. Lol

**Big Author's Note: **From the end of July to the middle of August I went on a trip with the fam to Spain for a backpacking trip of one hundred and fifty miles! Then college came up. Therefore, I'm sure you all understand how much of delay this has caused me. However, do not fear, and please read the next installment in my other story Projections where I hint at what's to come and explain how well prepared I am to finish this story!

I'm a BETAREADER now! So send me stuff! :D] – Two years ago

* * *

_Story Notes:_

N/A -

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

Uploaded, 07/08/11

| Ended up longer than expected/drafting alternate backstory/decided on gym battle phase I/established two new recurring characters |

original title, "Debrief, Part II"

RE: edit. 09/13/11

RE: edit. 03/16/12

original title, "Resolution"

RE: edit. 01/28/13


	21. Call of Legends

**Chapter Fifteen: Call of Legends**

Volkner took in a deep breath and prepared himself. He tried to imagine what it was like when he first opened the Sunyshore Gym to challengers, when he first physically opened up its doors to the outside. Back then, it was a humble day filled only with the sounds of chirping Starly and a gleaming sun as the welcome party. Never had he imagined that on his second opening day years later he would be swamped by a larger and more raucous crowd of trainers, spectators, tourists, and press.

**[13:59 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Gym), Sinnoh Region**

Volkner opened his eyes, faced the electronic doors of the gym entrance, and listened to the excited chatter just outside. Slowly but surely, a wide grin crept across Volkner's face and he turned to his right where Raichu, bouncing up and down on his hind legs, happily awaited the sight of hundreds of people.

"Raichu," Volkner said to his first Pokémon. "You remember when we opened this place right? We stood behind these doors all those years ago, and back then you were still a Pikachu."

"Lai…" Raichu sighed nostalgically, looking up at his trainer. "Laichu!"

"I wanted to surprise you so badly. I knew you wanted to evolve for a long time but I could never get my hands on a Thunderstone," Volkner said. "Ever since the day I found out how badly you wanted to evolve I started saving up. Not a day passed by that I didn't think about getting my hands on a Thunderstone!

"Finally I had it ordered from the Devon Corporation, and it arrived on the very day we were supposed to open our doors," Volkner said. "I remember the look on your face when I gave you what you wanted so badly, and I watched you evolve right before my eyes."

Raichu nodded happily, knowing all too well what it felt like to undergo such a vast transformation. Even though he was the last evolution in Volkner's team, Raichu knew that Volkner felt that his was the most special.

"You know, Raichu?" Volkner asked. "You evolved on that day… but today, I think I'm the one who's evolving!"

Raichu laughed joyfully and leapt into Volkner's chest where he hugged him warmly in return, truly feeling a wonderful battle approaching.

"Come on, Raichu!" Volkner said. Raichu climbed on Volkner's shoulder just like in the old times and Volkner supported him with his right arm. "Let's re-open our gym!"

Volkner pressed the manual override button on the inside panel beside the electronic door, and a wave of light shone through the widening vertical crack in the door as it slid open.

Suddenly, as Volkner's doors opened up, the dull chatter that Volkner heard behind the door changed into an ear-splitting cheer. Hundreds of people gathered around the entrance, sprawled themselves on the sidewalks, cluttered around the tree trunks for shade, and others more crammed themselves right in front of Volkner, hoping to get the best seats in the gym. Volkner couldn't have had a better welcome. With a wave of his left hand, the crowd simmered down and Volkner began to speak in a booming voice.

"Thank you all for coming out today to watch my first real gym battle in several months!" A great applause erupted after his first sentence alone. Volkner continued, "From this day forth, trainers will have to battle me to obtain their rightful Beacon Badges, although those who have a badge in their possession are welcome to hold onto it!"

"The challenger is currently on his way and the battle will begin promptly at two-thirty in about half an hour! Spectators, feel free to take whatever seats in the house you prefer! Members of the press, follow me for questions center field!"

As Volkner turned away from the crowd and entered the gym, he heard the massive stampede of people rush behind him, entering the seats through the left and right entrances, and he heard the gang of press members with their massive video cameras, digital still cameras, and boom mikes, asking questions and introducing themselves from the different media stations. Volkner put all of that aside and looked towards the end of the battlefield. Volkner smiled and patted the Pokémon who was still perched on his shoulder.

"We'd better win this!"

Raichu couldn't agree more.

"Lai, laichu!"

**[14:15 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Automated Route A115 to City), Sinnoh Region**

The group of trainers took the same automated sidewalks back to Sunyshore city from which they came and animatedly discussed the spectacular Pokémon battle by the docks. Lucas and Cynthia were chatting about him traveling to Sangdem Town to acquire a PokéDex and a new Pokémon, Flint and Brock cried in the background, Lucian kept reading his book, May and Dawn were prepping Ash for his gym battle, and the following crowd stayed close. Ash's Pokémon had other things to deal with on the other hand. For example, Gliscor was a nervous wreck. After watching Ash collapse right in front of her, she didn't know if things were going to be okay.

"You know guys, I'm not worried about the gym battle today. I'm more worried about Ash!

"More like you're just plain old worried," Buizel rolled his eyes. "Look at you!"

"But he keeps fainting!" Gliscor retaliated in her defense. "Shouldn't you be worried too? I just hope he's alright…"

"Come on, Gliscor, didn't you hear what Ash said?" Staraptor surely understood Gliscor's concerns, but he tried to calm her nerves down to prevent his own from being affected. "He's not fainting, he's just having visions! It could be much worse."

"That doesn't make me feel any better, you know!" Gliscor said, wrapping her webbed wings around her in a fetal position. Staraptor gave up the cause.

"Do you think they're connected to his dream from last night?" Monferno wondered aloud.

"Probably not," Grotle said without any hesitation. "My guess is that his dream from last night was some other memory altogether."

"Not to sound like our bat-crazy friend over here, but I just hope he doesn't have one of those during our gym battle," Buizel crossed his arms and sighed. "That would be _the worst_. Just imagine him slumping to the ground while one of us gets hit!"

"See?" Gliscor interjected. "I'm not the only one who's worried here!"

"Oh, come on guys, we need to have more faith in him!" Pikachu said loudly, trying to get everyone's spirits up. "He'll pull through for us no matter what!"

"Yeah you're right, I've never known a trainer who'd tell his Pokémon to escape off of an exploding hot air balloon first," Staraptor chuckled. "With Ash on our side, we'll be fine!"

"Yeah!" Monferno jumped up with his fist first. "And the best part, when we win this battle, we're gonna throw an awesome Ash-got-eight-badges-victory party!"

Buizel even perked up and said, "We'll even get to see May's Pokémon again!"

"Ohh… I'm more nervous about that than the gym battle to be telling the truth…" Pikachu spoke slowly.

"What're you talking about Pikachu?" asked Buizel.

"Yeah, what're you talking about?" Gliscor said, taken back. "We're going to have so much fun!"

"I always wondered what it's like to weigh hundreds of pounds when you evolve!" Grotle said with surprising enthusiasm. "I hope Venusaur won't be offended by me asking though… ooh, I'm gonna have to work on my phrasing."

While the other Pokémon continued to talk about May's Pokémon, Buizel struck a conversation with Pikachu.

"So what're you so afraid of, Pikachu? I thought you get along with all of May's Pokémon really, really well!" Buizel said. "Hell, you've traveled with them for nearly two years!"

"I know, Buizel!" Pikachu said in exasperation. "And that's just the point!"

"Alright, what is it then? What are you most worried about?" Buizel asked. A stroke of brilliance flashed across his face as he understood the issue. "Or should I say, _who_ are you most worried about?"

Pikachu simply gave a one word reply.

"Glaceon."

"Really?" Buizel cocked an eyebrow and folded his arms across his chest. "That doesn't make a hill of sense. You two seemed to hit it off just fine! What's the problem?"

"I don't know man," Pikachu sighed, thinking about the night he and Glaceon shared at the Lake Valor restaurant before the contest tournament. "Well, we were talking, and she seemed like she was enjoying herself, but then she asked me something really weird and I just didn't know what to do… I think she's mad at me now."

"What did she ask you?" Buizel pressed onward. "If this is going where I think it's going, you're one lucky Pokémon!"

"Huh?" Pikachu asked, genuinely unaware of what Buizel meant by that.

"Come on, Pikachu!" Buizel encouraged. "You might as well spill the beans since you started talking like that."

"Alright?" Pikachu breathed in slowly and was about to talk, "She asked me whether or not we were—"

"Here!" Flint shouted out, effectively ending Pikachu's sentence with a phonetically similar but non-contextual word.

As if relieved of his burden, Pikachu sighed again, glad to start the gym battle. Buizel on the other hand wasn't about to let go of Pikachu's tale.

"You realize you're going to have to spill the beans tonight whether you want to or not, Pikachu," Buizel added with a light punch to Pikachu's shoulder. Flint was talking rather loudly in the background about all of his adventures with Volkner, but Pikachu wasn't paying too much attention.

"Yeah, yeah, I know that!" Pikachu smiled and whacked Buizel lightly on the back of his head with his own tail. "Let's just win this battle so we can celebrate later!"

The entire gang of Pokémon trainers and Ash's Pokémon walked straight through to the center of the gym right onto the battlefield. Pikachu and all of the other Pokémon were thoroughly shocked to see so many people actually seated in the gym bleachers. Pikachu vaguely heard Volkner instructing the new crowd of trainers to take their seats and for Ash and the central group of trainers to keep close, but he couldn't help but hear the shocked voices of his companions.

"Aiyaiyaiii!" Gliscor squealed, practically tripping over herself as she heard the roars and cheers from the crowd. She yelled to her teammates holding her webbed wings up to her massive ears. "There's so many people watching us! I thought gym battles usually _didn't_ have so many people watching them!"

"Oh come on, Gliscor, this is gonna be fun!" Pikachu turned around and gave Gliscor a good smile of encouragement. "Besides, this is how it's going to be for the Sinnoh League! There will be so many people there, even more than today!"

"Wow…" Staraptor whistled and took a quick gaze at the crowd, noticing how spacious the gym was, even with a closed roof. "So this is what it's like at a Pokémon League… I'm ready!"

"Let's win this!" Monferno let the flame on his head burn even more intensely. "I can already feel this place heating up."

"If we don't get zapped to a crisp first," Grotle noted darkly.

"Never again will I have to wonder about what my next goal is…" Buizel said aloud, folding his arms across his chest while gazing upon the roaring crowd. "I am so glad Dawn caught me all those months ago, and even more glad that she traded me into Ash's team."

"You ready, Buizel?" Pikachu asked, overhearing his friend's musing.

"Born ready," Buizel responded nonchalantly. "The real question is… are you ready, Pikachu?"

Pikachu looked past Buizel into the crowds feeling the sound reverberate around the ears perched on his head. He saw Cynthia, Flint, Lucian, Brock, Dawn, and May walk away from the field into the first row seats nearest to the field boundary, and then turned around to view Ash's opponent.

Volkner beamed with pride as he stuck his hand out toward Ash, clearly just as eager as he was to begin the battle. Mirroring Volkner's Raichu, Ash's Pikachu quickly jumped onto Ash's arm, climbed onto his shoulder, smiled confidently, and looked to the defending side and saw Volkner's Pokémon all looking right at him. Pikachu turned around to face his own friends.

"Come on guys!" Pikachu pumped his right paw into the air and shouted out in tongue, "Everybody, let's make this a battle that no one will ever forget!"

With an eager chorus of Pokémon cries and a firm handshake between Ash and Volkner, the battle for the Beacon Badge was well on its way.

**[14:23 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Waste Management Sewer System), Sinnoh Region**

Meanwhile, in a slightly less than sanitary region of Sunyshore City, a different battle had begun, a battle over where a particular trio of Pokémon thieves was, to be exact.

"Meowth, where are we?" the fiery Jesse complained. "I don't wanna stay in these smelly sewers a moment longer! Such a dump isn't fit for a woman with such beauty as me!"

"Really…?" James kept his thoughts about 'beauty' to himself, but mirrored his partner in crime and whined, "But I want outta here as soon as possible! I think I've seen enough Muk running amok to last me a lifetime! Do you even know where you're going, Meowth?"

"Relax you guys!" Meowth countered smugly. "I know exactly where we are!"

"You've said that a thousand times!" Jesse snapped. "I don't think my perfect hair can take another Sludge attack! You'd _better_ have your bearings this time, you worthless hairball!"

"Mhm!" James nodded in agreement, especially at the threat. "What's the plan anyway?"

"Hold on youse two! Let's just get dere foist!" Meowth said, trying to calm the two humans. Not seconds later, Meowth exclaimed, "Dere it is!"

Jesse and James stopped in place and looked all around to inspect what it was that Meowth was so interested in. However, both of them came up empty and had no idea what Meowth was referring to.

"There is what, Meowth?" James asked.

"Meowth, I _demand_ to know what you're so talking about!" Jesse yelled.

"Ya know, any normal Pokémon would'a known what I'm talking about!" Meowth replied shaking his head at the ground. "If you two numb skulls would look right in front of ya, you'd see dere is a ladder that leads out of dese here sewers, and right into the Sunyshore Gym basement!"

"Really?" James widened his eyes in fright, expecting a Voltorb to pop out of nowhere and explode. "And how're you so sure you're not just taking us down another wrong turn?"

"I swear…" Meowth smacked his feline paw on his forehead in frustration. "Because dere's a sign right next to da ladder! Jeez!"

"Oh!" James said with a jubilant smile, reading the words 'Gym Maintenance'. "Not bad, Meowth!"

"Seriously," Meowth sighed at James' sudden change of tone. "Dey don't call me da brains of da operation for nutin'…"

"So what, there's a ladder? What're we gonna do? Just run up the ladder and try looking for rare Pokémon?" Jesse said in disbelief as she ran her fingers through her extremely long hair. "We need a plan!"

"Jesse…" Meowth sighed once again to himself. "If ya knew anyting' about anyting', ya'd also know dat today da twerp is having a gym battle right above us!"

Jesse and James both seemed to pay more attention. "I'm listening?" Both said simultaneously.

"I bet you also didn't know dat da Sinnoh champion is gonna be dere! You know, da I-can't-make-my-mind-up-about-ice-cream girl?"

"Ooh!" James clapped his hands together with glee. "You're right, Meowth! _And_ they're traveling with a whole group of powerful elite trainers, right?"

"Now you got it!" Meowth exclaimed and winked. "All we gotta do is nab them all!"

"Okay?" Jesse was still super skeptical about the whole plan. "And how do you suppose we do that?"

"Oh Jess, I see you have absolutely no idea!" Meowth rubbed his paws together greedily. "It's so easy! All we gotta do is open da roof to dis here building and den bring in da Super Ultra PokéVac Mark _Four_, totally new and improved! It's even attack proof on da outside unlike last time! Right, Jimmy?"

"What?" James asked completely caught off guard. "Oh, right… my bad."

"It's not half bad, I guess?" Jesse finally agreed to go ahead with the plan. "Oh fine, but how do you suppose we open the roof?"

"We find da switch!" Meowth exclaimed.

Several seconds of palpable silence permeated the space between the three Pokémon thieves. The only sounds that could be heard were the faint drips of tainted water coming from a leaking pipe and a small squeak from a Rattata far off in the distance.

"Well then let's go and grab those super rare and powerful Pokémon!" Jessie cheered, reviving her thieving spirit. "That roof isn't gonna open itself!"

"True dat," Meowth agreed. "But someone's gonna have to climb those stairs froist, ya know."

"Yeah!" James chimed in. "Somebody… right?"

Another several seconds passed between the trio. Jesse looked to James, who looked at Meowth, who glanced at Jesse again, who glared back at Meowth, who shot a dirty look at James, who stared at Jesse again.

"You first."

**[14:27 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Gym), Sinnoh Region**

The excitement inside the gym was supercharged like never before. For several long months, the citizens of Sunyshore City couldn't keep their heads up high and brag about their champion Gym leader who was rumored to be on par with members of the Elite Four, for he had fallen into a state of irreparable despair. This was no longer the case and it seemed as if half of the city had shown up to the Gym just to show how much they appreciated Volkner's return. Surely this would become a battle for the record books.

"Wow…" Brock said to himself amidst the ear splitting cheer of the rest of the spectators. He sat in the very front row, closest to the battlefield and had a clear view of the arena. "It seems like this gym is completely full! I've never seen a gym battle where this many people were in the gym at once!"

"I know!" Dawn yelled at the top of her lungs. "It's almost like a contest there's so many people!"

"Goodness…" May spoke to herself. "Do you think this is going to be a problem, you know, making Ash and Volkner nervous?"

"It could have some effects, but my guess is that it'll only make Ash and Volkner battle that much harder," Brock replied. "I'm sure this is going to be a great thing! I'm just in awe at the gym itself! It's completely state of the art!"

"Hehe, you're definitely right about that, Brock," Flint added. "I'll have you know that before Volkner took his super long hiatus, the gym was a lot more shabby looking, didn't have as many seats, and definitely couldn't withstand the stresses of a battle like we'll see today. Jeez, it didn't even have the referee bot in front of us!"

"That's not all, you know!" Cynthia supplemented. "Did you know that this Gym is exceptionally unique?"

"How so, Cynthia?" Dawn asked. "It looks pretty normal to me!"

"Dawn, you should have a look at the boxes surrounding both Volkner and Ash," Lucian cut through. "Do you see those black spots on the corners?"

Dawn, Brock, and May all brought their attention towards the spots Lucian indicated. Indeed, there were black bumps on each of the corners that made up the challenger's box and the defender's box.

Brock widened his eyes in surprise. "Are those…?"

"Microphones and cameras," Cynthia stated simply. "This is the only gym in the entire world at the moment that uses this technology. We will be able to hear Ash's every command to his Pokémon, including anything he says accidentally. It's perfect for large crowds to get into the battle itself."

"The best part for the challenger and defender is that the acoustics of this complex are made in a way that neither of them will hear their own voices being amplified through the speakers above us," Lucian interjected for clarification. "They will fight as if the only ones who could hear them are those two. They won't have to worry about hearing their voices bouncing on the walls and they won't have to worry about hearing their opponent talking strategy unless they shout out to each other intentionally."

"Basically," Cynthia continued. "This gym is perfect for recording battles and broadcasting them on the air. That's why there are so many members of the press and entertainment recording crews here today. The sound can be captured perfectly and there are so many discrete cameras picking up the footage throughout the gym."

"That's especially why Volkner could invite so many people here today," Flint nodded knowingly. "He sent an advertisement through the press yesterday after Ash's fall to publicize this event. It'll be a historic battle, recorded and broadcasted on many TV stations—the very first ever recorded gym battle!"

"Wow…" the three younger teenagers said collectively. The clock on the roof struck two thirty and the crowd let loose the most incredible roar ever heard.

Brock, Dawn, May, Cynthia, Flint, and even Lucian joined in the cheers for the battle to start. Waves of applause and cheers rang throughout the gym and the excitement could be seen in each face of the spectators. Every person in the stands felt the incredible energy coming from everyone else's anticipation and looked on as Volkner moved into the defender's box on the field. Without further ado, Volkner thanked the spectators and started announcing the rules of the battle. Volkner spoke directly at Ash, but knew that the crowd would also hear his voice through the microphones.

"Citizens of Sunyshore City, members of the press, and my personal friends, thank you so much for coming to see this historic battle! Thank you everyone!" Volkner shouted out. Raising his hand dramatically toward Ash, Volkner continued the introductions.

"I would like to present to you the challenger, Ash Ketchum! He comes before us all the way from Pallet Town in the Kanto region. He is the first victor of the Battle Frontier Challenge, the victor of the Orange League, and also finished in the Top Eight of the Hoenn League! Everyone, please give him a round of applause!"

Nearly a minute of uninterrupted applause and cheers came from the crowd and made Ash feel extremely flattered, but even more excited.

"Haha, thanks for praise Volkner, but I really just want to battle!" Ash said with a big grin on his face. "What are the rules?"

"You are very welcome, Ash, and you definitely deserve it!" Volkner laughed, reminded of the fact that everyone was really here to see some action, not being hampered by dialogue. "Today is going to be a great battle, I can feel it! Indeed you are not here to hear me talk, you're here to do battle!

"At any rate, I need to explain the rules of this gym. Ever since challengers stopped coming to my gym, I began renovating it and kept adding new things to make it more interesting," Volkner explained.

"I've added things like the microphones around us to record the sound of battle, the video cameras to capture the different angles of our attacks, and I even added extra seats for the gym, and many more additions in the hope that one day they would be used! What I'm about to show you is my final addition to this gym, something I adopted after visiting some of my friends in the Orange Islands!"

Ash had no clue what Volkner had in mind. He'd been through a water course and even made sleds with his Pokémon, but he was in the middle of a regular gym today. Volkner chuckled slightly, seeing Ash's bewildered expression.

"You see Ash, up until now I always had four on four battles with challengers. After all of my remodeling, I decided to throw a curve ball for trainers who brought a full team with them. I still keep the regular four on four battle, but for challengers with six Pokémon, I created a separate test designed to be a double battle!"

"A double battle?" Ash looked excited at the prospect of using his entire team of Pokémon. "What do you mean, Volkner?"

"What I mean is that this gym battle will consist of two phases!" Volkner smiled. "The first phase will be a test of the trainer's strength and courage, and the second will be a traditional four on four Pokémon battle!"

"What's the test?" Ash asked, ready to take on any challenge.

"Ash…" Volkner began saying, withdrawing a control surface from his pocket. "Get ready for some rock climbing!"

Ash didn't have any time to respond. As soon as Volkner pressed one of the buttons on his control surface, the entire gym was subjected to the sounds of hydraulics, shifting gears, and a moving battlefield. Only in the middle of the rectangle where the inscribed circle lay, a large crack split the circles in half, parallel to Ash and Volkner. The semicircles separated, leaving a large open hole in the center. Soon enough, the hole didn't remain empty as a circular shaft with the exact diameter as the inscribed circles rose into the air as the semicircles were pushed away.

"As you can see, this rising structure is no rock climb in an amusement park!" Volkner explained as the cylinder ascended in the middle of the battlefield. "Right now, there aren't even any notches to put your feet on or grab onto! This is where your Pokémon come in."

The cylinder finally reached the pinnacle of its ascent a quarter way to the roof of the gym. The scoreboard positioned on both sides of the battlefield showed Ash and Volkner's faces next to a respective glowing bar.

"If you'd look to your right and left for those sitting in the middle, or the case of those sitting in the wings, directly in front of you, you will see the scoreboard illuminating our pictures next to a bar. This bar shows our progress as we both climb our own half of the rock climbing cylinder! That way, even though Ash and I will not be able to see each other directly, we will be able to measure our progress against each other just by glancing at the scoreboard!"

"And now…" Volkner taunted. "How are we supposed to climb this at all? As I have said before, there are no notches exposed—right now. By instructing our Pokémon to attack the cylinder, the individual notches come forth from the cylinder and can be used to climb higher and higher! And yet, there's still a catch!"

"Challenger!" Volkner looked directly at Ash and approached his cylinder, prompting Ash to follow suit and do the same. "You and I are allowed to attack each other's walls to make the notches fall back into the wall, effectively blocking each other's climb!"

At this news, the crowd let loose another ear splitting cheer. Surely this battle was going to be extremely interesting, considering the complex rules and high stakes involved. Everyone in the crowd was super hyped and eager to see the results of this rather unconventional gym challenge.

"Um… Cynthia?" Dawn asked as Ash and Volkner reached the foot of the rock climbing cylinder.

"Yeah, Dawn?" Cynthia responded as Volkner pushed a button on his belt.

"Didn't you say Volkner always asked for a battle with four Pokémon just yesterday?" Dawn questioned as she watched two harnesses fall from the top of the structure down to the floor.

"That's true. I did say that, but that was how things used to be. In the past, he always demanded a four on four. Today marks a dramatic change in how gym battles will be conducted," Cynthia explained as both Ash and Volkner slid themselves into the harness and secured the straps. "However, you shouldn't be surprised that he threw in an extra challenge on top of the regular challenge."

"Why? So far every single gym we've been to was just a straightforward challenge!" Dawn said as Ash and Volkner tested the security of the harness.

"Yeah," Flint smirked to himself and cut in just before the battle was about to start. "Then again, Volkner's not a very straightforward guy, I mean look at him! After all this time, he just wants to make this gym the best gym in the world. I think he's accomplished that by renewing the gym, not just renovating it."

Ash and Volkner both instructed their first Pokémon to jump off their shoulders and at that, the moderating bot began reading off instructions that echoed throughout the entire gym.

"The gym battle between Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town and Volkner of the Sunyshore City Gym will now begin. The competitors must ascend to the top of the scalable wall. If either trainer is unable to complete, that trainer automatically loses the challenge. The challenger must complete the ascent of the wall either faster than the defender or arrive within ten seconds of the defender to qualify for the second round of the gym challenge. There is no time limit."

"You ready, Ash?" Volkner asked.

"Born ready," Ash replied.

The bot flapped both flags down to the ground.

"Begin!"

* * *

_Dear Readers,_

LAST PREPARATIONS was the last title. God, that is actually the worst title I've ever come up with. Jezis. I know chapters like this seem very frivolous and unnecessary, and in some sense they definitely are. However for me as a writer, I feel that it is important to have some chapters that focus merely on capturing the excitement, mood, or history of something to enrich the total experience. I know that when I read fanfiction, I really appreciate writers who attempt to make the experience artistic and more fulfilling than just action upon action. That is why I write chapters like this, and that's why I'll hold onto them.

[First things first, I am back and back with a vengeance! I know it's rather ridiculous that I didn't even update last month, but when I say that college has started, I'm sure you understand why I was forced not to.

Spain was absolutely amazing, especially the backpacking for one hundred and fifty miles part. It took about ten days and I would recommend it to anybody, especially in a group. I didn't even know Spanish and I could get my necessities!

This trip taught me a big lesson about distance and town placement. Even though this trip would've only taken about three hours by car on the interstate, it took us ten days on foot. Every village was about five miles apart from each other and took at least two hours to get to. On some occasions there wasn't even a town for fifteen miles! Basically I understand now why Ash and his friends don't reach the next major city for several episodes and just run into random little towns and do things there for the day. I just don't understand how they do it with nothing but a tiny backpack and the same clothes _every single day_… Maybe it's magical realism?

In other news, I'm in University now! Just a few things about it. Everything I'm going to tell you is something I heard from other people, and when I did hear it, I didn't know what any of it meant and I didn't understand. Trust me, it's all true, and I understood it all the minute I got here. College is weird. College is what you make of it. College is the best time of your life. You can't describe it. College is amazing.

I _still_ have a headache while writing this. Aha, aha… Do me a favor and read my other story, Projections! I'll explain some more things and let you in on some of my writing style! No need to think that I got writer's block. My composition creativity notebook for this story has around ninety pages of scribble material, enough to type out thirty chapters. That's with generous under-rounding.

**I'm a BETAREADER!** Send me stuff! :D] – Two years ago

* * *

_Story Notes:_

N/A -

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

Uploaded, 09/21/11

| thought the battle starts this chapter/it doesn't/completely filler/completely know the battle flow/Delaine is no longer in the picture |

original title, "Premonitions"

RE: edit. 03/16/12

original title, "Last Preparations"

RE: edit. 01/28/13


	22. Part I, VS Raichu!

**Chapter Sixteen: Battle for the Beacon Badge, Part I – VS Raichu! **

Ash and Volkner both held their choice Poké Ball in their respective hands. At the sound of the moderating bot's command, they released their Pokémon to start the highly anticipated Sunyshore Gym battle.

**[14:35 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Gym), Sinnoh Region**

"Raichu! You're up!" Volkner instructed his mouse Pokémon at his side. "Octillery, come on out!"

Volkner's Raichu saluted from his position right next to Volkner and watched his battle partner emerge from the Poké Ball. The white light faded away to reveal a red cephalopod wearing a slightly dazed façade.

"Pikachu, I want you to sit this one out, alright buddy?" Ash asked his partner quickly.

Pikachu nodded affirmatively and ran off to the row in the stands where the rest of Ash's friends stayed. Pikachu hopped into May's arms and snuggled closely just as Ash called out his own choices.

"Staraptor, I choose you! Buizel, let's go!" Ash yelled out.

Immediately a battle cry was heard throughout the gym as Ash's flying specialist took flight. The other Pokémon, a waterphilic fighter stood vigilant and sounded himself off, ready to put one more victory under his flotation sac.

"We're ready, Volkner!" Ash called out to his opponent.

"Alright! Raichu, let's go!" Volkner commanded immediately. "Use your tail to shoot Octillery onto the wall and use Thunderbolt on the wall right in front of me!"

Raichu swung his tail laterally toward Octillery, effectively scooping him up. Using the same momentum, Raichu made a grand twirl in a circle and squeezed his cheeks together just as Octillery was thrown off onto the wall. A flash of electricity later, Volkner grabbed onto the notches that slid forward and began scaling the wall with Octillery actively accompanying Volkner on every step.

"Come on guys! We can't let Volkner beat us to the top!" Ash encouraged his team of two. "Buizel, use Water Gun on the wall in front of me, and Staraptor, use Gust right where that Raichu just hit the wall! Try to blow Octillery off!"

Buizel immediately complied and shot a steady stream of water from the bottom of the rock climbing structure all the way to the top in a matter of seconds. Staraptor on the other hand had to fly all the way to the other side of the cylinder before he could start his Gust attack. When he reached his target, Staraptor began beating his wings at such a rapid rate that even Ash could feel a huge gush of wind come from around the circle.

"Keep it up, Staraptor!" Ash encouraged his Pokémon. "I can't see exactly what you're doing, but I trust you!"

"Star!" Staraptor yelled out to the best of its ability and kept the Flying type onslaught. "Star—raptor!"

Volkner on was effectively pinned to the wall and couldn't move as quickly up the stones. Volkner was about a fourth up his respective side of the wall but progressed noticeably slower. Volkner's Octillery was about to fall off the wall from the wind pressure and his Raichu resorted to defending himself on the ground and felt his grip slide against the sandy battlefield.

"Nice move on Ash's part, keeping me pinned like this!" Volkner admitted amidst the rapidly moving air. Volkner grabbed hold of Octillery and held him in such a way that it looked like he was about to throw him. "Octillery! Use Water Gun and propel yourself further up the climb! Raichu! Forget about Staraptor and block Ash's ascent! I'll be fine! Hit his wall with a hard Iron Tail and cut him off!"

Volkner threw Octillery as hard as he could straight above him, and as instructed, Octillery used its Water Gun attack while airborne to stabilize and position himself at about one half of the structure, just out of Gust range. Raichu also did as ordered and ran with the wind to Ash's side. He leapt up with all of his might and smacked the rock notches right in front of Ash's hand, much to Ash's surprise. Greatly startled, he lost his grip on the rock notch and began falling to the ground.

"Ash!" May cried out from the sidelines.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu yelled out. "Pika pikachu!"

"Wait," Brock sighed quickly as he saw Ash recuperate and he patted May's back gently, reminding her, "Ash will be alright! He's only gonna fall a small amount of distance thanks to that weighted harness he has on him!"

"Oh… right…" May sighed a huge sigh of relief, but then shouted out, "Come on Ash! Grab a rock and keep climbing!"

Ash snapped out of his surprise and flailed his hands trying to grab onto one of the rocks. Luckily he managed to grab onto one of the rocks where his feet had been not a few seconds ago, so he only lost a meter of distance.

"Buizel!" Ash yelled out. "Try and shoot a SonicBoom onto the rock that Raichu just pushed back in! Hurry!"

"Bui!" Buizel complied and swung hia tail rapidly, aiming for the exact spot where Raichu blocked Ash off. "Bui, bui!"

Suddenly a huge volume of water in an archer's bow shape rushed at the intended spot. Not inches away from the stone notch, a huge surge of electrical energy coursed through the water shock wave, lysing the water into hydrogen and oxygen gas and ignited. Once again Ash was subjected to a surprising explosive force as he felt the shock wave hit his body. He managed to maintain his footing and tightened his grip onto the wall.

"Agh!" Ash grunted as he looked at the scoreboard. He saw Volkner's face and the distance indicator showing that Volkner was at one half completed while he was just at over a fourth. "Shoot, I've got to get up there! Buizel, keep Raichu off me! Staraptor, I know it's hard, but you've gotta keep up your Gust attack!"

"Bui!" Buizel sounded off affirmatively as he countered Raichu's Iron Tail with Aqua Jet. "Bui—zel!"

Staraptor gave a quick caw and even put in an extra effort to keep the Gust going.

Ash nodded at Buizel as he watched Buizel shoot a Water Gun attack that met with Raichu's Thunderbolt, resulting in another explosion. He quickly climbed up the notches he fell from, and as soon as he approached the rock that would've been raised if Raichu hadn't detonated Buizel's attack, Ash gritted his teeth and balled his right hand into a fist.

"Alright, here goes nothing!" Ash yelled as he smashed his fist against the wall. After wincing and withdrawing his hand from the sharp pain against his knuckles, he saw that the stone re-emerged, allowing him safe passage all the way to the top where Buizel's Water Gun carved his path.

_Hehehe! Who said Pokémon were the only ones who could attack the wall?_ Ash thought smugly as he continued climbing the wall at a noticeably faster rate than Volkner thanks to Staraptor. As soon as he reached the halfway mark, Ash noticed Volkner was barely above the same spot as when he looked previously. _Alright! We can win this!_

"Oh no! He figured out a loophole!" Volkner said to himself as he kept fighting against Staraptor's Gust. He met up with Octillery who was still having trouble against the raging winds. "Alright Octillery, we're going on the offensive now! Let me hold onto you so you won't fly off the wall!"

Volkner let his Octillery squirm its way down to Volkner's body until it was tucked properly underneath Volkner's arm.

"Alright Octillery, use Octazooka!"

Ash heard Volkner's orders and panicked slightly as he felt another explosion coming underneath from Buizel's face off with Raichu.

"Staraptor! Stop using Gust and dodge those Octazooka attacks! Try to use Wing Attack to push some of those rocks back in on Volkner's side!"

The crowd watched in sheer excitement at the scene and cheered loudly for Volkner and Ash to do their best. Staraptor made multiple attempts to hit the rocks on the wall while avoiding spit balls of ink coming from Octazooka's ink nozzle. Likewise, Raichu and Buizel dueled each other in a fierce fight of martial arts and special type techniques, trading blow for blow. Video cameras followed both the trainers' moves and their Pokémon, switching between angles on the screens allowing everyone to have a perfect view of the battle.

"This is one superheated battle!" Flint smiled at the raging competition in front of him. "This reminds me of the first time Volkner invited me to test it out!"

Lucian looked towards his colleague and asked, "How did you do?"

"Ha! I lost!" Flint chuckled to himself and looked away from Lucian with mock disdain.

"I could believe that," Cynthia said with mirth, not surprised to hear it.

"Well to be real here, I only lost because I couldn't make it to the top in ten seconds after Volkner made it. I got there eleven seconds after he did—_that's_ why I lost! We'll see if Ash has what it takes to win this! If he can't he's not gonna leave with a badge!"

Soon enough they were interrupted by Ash's voice through the speaker system.

"Volkner's slowed down because he's carrying Octillery!" Ash said to nobody in particular. "Staraptor, use Brave Bird on those rocks!"

"Oh no you don't!" Volkner yelled out amidst another explosion, this time resulting from Buizel's Aqua Tail and Raichu's Volt Tackle. "Octillery, use Octazooka again! Rapid fire!"

"Staraptor, dodge those ink balls!" Ash yelled out to his Pokémon.

Staraptor tucked his wings behind himself in a fluid and graceful motion before becoming enveloped in a blue aura, the signature of the self-destructive Flying type attack. Octillery spat balls of black and Staraptor did his best to avoid the barrage of murky water, but with each dodge he made, the attacks seemed even closer to connecting. After several harrowing dives, barrel rolls, and particularly painful defense splits, Octillery's Octazooka connected and clipped Staraptor's wing.

"Staraptor!" Ash yelled out. "Are you alright?"

After falling several feet in the air from the impact, Staraptor managed to stabilize himself and flapped his wings to hover. Ash realized that if he called Brave Bird again, Staraptor would just be hit by the high speed Water type attacks.

"Staraptor, swoop in there and knock Octillery off with Aerial Ace!" Ash yelled as he climbed up several more rocks. As Ash looked down to see his Buizel connect a quick Ice Punch against Raichu's Iron Tail, he heard his Flying type let loose a battle cry as it sped towards Volkner's vanguard.

"Quick, use Aurora Beam!" Volkner instructed.

There was no time to react when Ash heard the pained cry of his Pokémon. Even though he wished the outcome was otherwise, Ash knew that Aurora Beam hit its mark with super effective results. It seemed like the offensive against Volkner's side was lost.

"Staraptor, get outta there and come over to our side!" Ash yelled out, glad to know that he spared Staraptor more contorting aerial maneuvers.

"If you insist!" Volkner smirked as he noticed Staraptor's new limp in his flapping patter. As Staraptor slowly edged off to the side of the structure away from the barrage of inky spit balls, Volkner taunted, "Your funeral, Ash!"

Ash stopped his climb in surprise.

"What?"

"Raichu! Spring the trap! Use Thunderbolt on Staraptor!" Volkner commanded with a satisfying smirk.

"NO!" Ash yelled out as he noticed how Staraptor's flight path brought him directly underneath the battle between Buizel and Raichu on a higher elevation as Ash.

Buizel recognized the imminent threat and attempted to neutralize Raichu with a straight Water Gun to his body, but Buizel hadn't expected Raichu to jump into the air, effectively dodging Buizel's counterattack and hovering away from Staraptor at point-blank range.

"Now!" Volkner shouted out.

True to command, Raichu loosed several thousand volts of electricity at the airborne fowl who received its full assault. Staraptor shrieked in pain as the electrons surged through his body, and even though he tried to fight off the muscle spasms, he was powerless. His flight ended and Staraptor fell beak first toward the ground.

"Staraptor!" Ash yelled out to his friend as he watched him quickly lose airspeed and control. On instinct, Ash grabbed onto the rock in his hand, bent his legs into a spring, and leapt into the air to catch Staraptor.

"ASH!" May yelled out. The rest of Ash's friends were too shocked to even say anything as they could do nothing but watch Ash fall towards his Pokémon.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu shouted out with worry. "Pika pika—pikapi!"

"AGHHHH—_gotcha_!" Ash yelled as he successfully grabbed onto Staraptor and tucked him underneath his right arm. Ash let his momentum swing him back onto the rock climbing wall. He swung his left hand as hard as he could against the wall and managed to grab onto the wall, albeit painfully.

The crowd watched in utter horror as Ash barely managed to hold onto the rock wall with his left hand as he also held onto Staraptor's limp body underneath his right arm. Then with great cheers the crowd shouted words of encouragement for Ash to continue and finish the challenge. Ash heard all of these sounds going through his head from all angles and tried to sort it out as he managed to place his feet on the stones.

"You can do it, Ash!" Dawn yelled out as loudly as she could.

Ash pulled himself back up and got a better hold with his hand.

"Come on Ash! Get back in the race!" Brock shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth.

Ash shook his head, getting rid of the thoughts of the pain in his knuckles, arm, and body.

"Pika pika, pikachu!"

Ash raised his head up and shook the sweat forming on his head off.

May looked around her at all of the people shouting out and then turned around to face Ash. When she saw the pained expression on his face, she held nothing back and yelled out with all her might.

"Ash, don't you quit on me now! You can still win this!"

At that Ash snapped his eyes open and reached his left hand out for the next rock above him, slowly but surely ascending to the top. The crowd exploded in cheering and applause at Ash's response to all of the noise.

"Thank goodness he's still going!" Lucian shouted himself hoarse. "I just hope it's enough to make that ten second interval!"

"What do you mean, Lucian?" Dawn said. "Volkner can't climb as fast as Ash, remember? He'll definitely beat Volkner at this pace!"

"Not anymore. That was only when Volkner held his Octillery underneath his arm to defend against Staraptor, remember? He climbed so slowly because he was rendered one-handed!" Lucian responded. "Now it's Ash who's got a Pokémon under his arm! Now _he's_ the one who's one-handed! See?"

Brock looked at the scoreboard and saw Ash managed to reach the halfway mark he fell from, but when he looked at Volkner's scoreboard he saw that Volkner was noticeably ahead—only seconds away from reaching the top.

"You're right! Volkner made up for all of that lost distance and he's practically done!"

"Ash could really lose the match right here!" Dawn brought both of her hands to her mouth and gasped. "Volkner's only a few feet away!"

All eyes in the crowd turned to Volkner and saw him reaching his hands to the top and pulling himself onto the top of the structure. When he finished his ascent, he began waving his hands at the crowd. While petting Raichu and Octazooka affectionately, he pointed to all the screens which bore a countdown clock. The robotic referee began issuing the instructions as they rang throughout the gym.

"The defender Volkner has reached the top of the ascent! The challenger has ten seconds to reach the top to qualify for the second round. Counting down, t-minus ten!"

Ash grunted in pain as he positioned his feet on the next level of rocks and managed to reach the next stone with his hand. With great care, he managed to hold onto Staraptor securely, yet he also noticed that his pace was inconceivably slow. Ash reached for the next rock and pulled himself up intently but lethargically.

He grunted again as he repeated the same process—repositioning his feet, springing up, then reaching for the next rock. Staraptor seemed to weigh so much heavier than when he was just a young Starly.

"Nine!"

Staraptor came to and noticed that he wasn't flying anymore. He also noticed how he was slowly being raised upward along the rock climbing structure. He swiveled his head one hundred and eighty degrees and saw how Ash was holding onto him securely but with great care.

"Staraptor! You're alright!" Ash said to his Pokémon as he grunted for the next stone. "I'm so glad you're okay! I don't know if we're going to make it to the top but you're gonna be just fine—agh!"

"Eight!"

Staraptor saw how much distance Ash had to cover and looked down towards the ground and saw Buizel wearing a worried expression. Staraptor called out something in Pokémon tongue down below and cawed at Ash.

"Star?" Staraptor asked confusedly.

"It's alright, Staraptor!" Ash said. "I'm not blaming you for this! I just didn't want you to hit the ground from so high up! We'll be fine!"

"Seven!"

Staraptor shook his head vigorously and wrestled himself out of Ash's embrace. He spread his wings and flapped them slowly, hovering right next to Ash. He kept shouting instructions to Buizel.

"Star! Star, stara—staraptor!"

"Staraptor, what are you doing?" Ash asked as he grabbed onto the next rock level with both of his hands.

Suddenly Staraptor swooped below Ash and grabbed his torso harness with his claws and flapped with more intensity, lifting him off of the rock structure, effectively carrying Ash's weight with mere flaps of his wings.

"Six!"

"Staraptor…" Ash wondered in awe. "Did you… did you learn _that _move?"

Staraptor nodded emphatically and chirped with glee as he continued to beat its wings in a graceful and leisurely way. "Staraptor! Star, star!"

"You're _flying_… Staraptor!" Ash exclaimed. "You're using Fly! I'm so proud of you!"

Staraptor smiled as best as he could through his beak and began beating his wings more quickly, making the pair of Ash and Staraptor rise slowly up the stone climbing pillar, without the need for Ash to grip the rocks. Still, Ash noticed that they wouldn't reach the top in the time left.

"Five!"

"There's not enough time left. We're not gonna make it…" Ash mumbled sadly.

Suddenly, Staraptor called down towards Buizel who nodded in return and took to an offensive stance. Seeing Ash look upward in confusion, Staraptor just replied with a quick wink and continued flying.

"Wait, Staraptor, what are you doing?"

"Four!"

Staraptor suddenly pointed directly downward at the ground with his wing. Ash looked down to see Buizel completely surrounded by a rotating veil of water, the preparation for a powerful Aqua Jet.

"Bui bui!" Buizel cried out as he released the water jet directly skyward—directly at his trainer who caught him completely in surprise.

"Three!"

Ash looked between the Pokémon above him who was flapping his wings in a steady motion, the Pokémon who just rocketed into his arms, and the clock with the remaining time. Then Ash realized what Staraptor and Buizel planned.

"Buizel? Staraptor? Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?" Ash asked his two Pokémon, already knowing what they were going to say.

"Star!"

"Bui!"

"Two!"

"Okay then!" Ash yelled loudly, ready to finish the battle. "Staraptor, use Fly and Buizel, aim Water Gun right at the floor! Let's go!"

With winning smiles on their faces, the pair of Pokémon executed their attacks to secure their trainer's victory. Staraptor let loose one final screech as he flapped his wings as quickly as possible and Buizel puffed his cheeks and let loose a stream of water directly at the ground. Their combined strength propelled the entire party skyward at an alarmingly fast rate.

"One!"

As Ash rocketed toward the top, the entire crowd held their breath as the final fractions of a second swept by. That last second felt incredibly lengthened, as if someone was recording every last detail with a high speed camera. Just as the tenths of a second counted down, Ash and his Pokémon reached the pinnacle of the pillar and Buizel angled his jaw to create a smooth curve for Staraptor's path.

And then right before the last fractions felt like it they were about to fall to nil, Staraptor flapped the hardest he ever had in his life and successfully dragged Ash's feet onto solid ground—right on top of the rock climbing pillar.

"Zero!"

Amidst the ear-splitting cheers coming from his friends, fans, and new followers, Ash quickly recovered and stood up on the top of the pillar, amazed that he arrived without microseconds to spare. As Ash hugged his Buizel and ruffled Staraptor's head affectionately, Volkner looked on and smiled to himself, glad that Ash passed the first test of the Sunyshore Gym battle.

"Heh…" Volkner said to his own Pokémon. "It looks like using this rock climbing challenge is going to be a rare occurrence after all."

Raichu looked up at his trainer in puzzlement and Octillery just idly shifted his head in his trainer's direction, his face plastered with confusion anyway.

"I mean that only someone like Ash would ever be able to complete this challenge," Volkner said. Raichu and Octillery nodded in agreement.

**[16:04 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Gym Basement), Sinnoh Region**

"I keep trying to tell you Meowth, I don't think the switch for the roof is around here!" James said, groping along the edges of a hydraulic arm to find some kind of button protrusion.

"We're getting nowhere at all!" Jessie complained. "Why don't we think this through and try to figure out where the switch _would_ be since it's not here?"

"True dat," Meowth agreed. Looking around he saw the whole group standing atop some sort of circular region filled with a deep layer of dust. "But if we don't do some'tin soon, we're gonna be—"

"—What's that noise?" James asked. "Um, Meowth?"

"Meowth! The floor is _shaking_!" Jessie cried out in fright as she saw the walls shake back and forth around her while the non-sandy floor remained static.

"Hey, I don't know! Maybe it's scheduled maintenance?" Meowth responded equally perplexed as his partners in crime.

Neither of the three expected the platform to start rising.

**[16:05 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Gym), Sinnoh Region**

While the crowd kept cheering loudly in appreciation for the most incredible unconventional gym battle the Sinnoh region had ever seen, Ash and Volkner chatted amongst themselves atop the rock climbing structure.

"Man Ash… that was such an amazing way to finish off this challenge!" Volkner praised with a smile. "I never even once thought about using my Pokémon to propel _myself_ up to the top!"

"Oh no, it wasn't my idea actually!" Ash chuckled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I was prepared to climb up the challenge by myself after Staraptor was attacked, but then Staraptor and Buizel came up with that plan all on their own! I didn't tell them anything, but they helped me actually finish the challenge in the end! I owe it all to them."

"You really trust your Pokémon, and they really trust you!" Volkner acknowledged. "That's why they managed to pull it off, even without verbal orders. You can be proud of that."

"Thanks Volkner!" Ash said as he patted Staraptor and Buizel's heads. "You guys were absolutely amazing!"

Finally the rock climbing structure normalized and flushed itself with the rest of the battlefield, temporarily giving Ash and Volkner time to step off onto more solid ground. Volkner neatly stepped toward the bleachers, and began addressing the crowd.

"Congratulations to Ash Ketchum for completing Phase One of the Sunyshore City gym challenge!" Volkner announced. "Now that Ash Ketchum has proven himself worthy of a gym battle, the rock climbing cylinder has been retracted and the standard battlefield circles will replace it. It's time for the main event!"

The crowd eagerly replied with enthusiastic screams and hollers of excitement. Volkner pointed directly at the center of the battlefield behind him, currently a gaping hole leading to the gym basement. Strangely though, Volkner's address to the crowd was increasingly peppered with hushed, nervous voices issuing from the cavity where the rock climbing tower was lowered.

"_We're gonna get caught! We're gonna get caught! I can't believe you let this happen!"_

Dawn and May could've sworn they heard that pompous feminine voice somewhere before.

"_Don't blame me! Meowth said there'd be a switch for the roof inside!"_

Ash and Brock thought there was something vaguely familiar about that immature boyish voice. On the other hand, Buizel, Staraptor, and Pikachu didn't even require visual confirmation to guess the next speaker was. The horrid accent was enough to give it away.

"_I'd say it was your fault for getting us to wander on dis here moving plat—oh no!"_

Before the trio of Pokémon thieves could even turn around and fix their attention at the sorry state they were in, several Pokémon arced electricity across their bodies, stored water in their mouths, and growled in fierce disproval.

"Uh… putting the do-gooders in their place?" Jessie asked tentatively.

"We're Team Rocket..." James fidgeted on the spot.

"AND WE'RE IN UNFRIENDLY SPACE!" Meowth exclaimed right before the angry onslaught of Water, Flying, and Electric type attacks rushed at them.

* * *

_Dear Readers,_

So I decided that my naming scheme would be centered around some kind of theme, culminating by some three or four part finale titled 'Battle for' or 'Battle of', whichever is more appropriate. Sometimes it's really a challenge trying to translate what happens in my mind into words. I'm no visual artist so drawing has never really been an option for me. But if I ever get the chance, I want to perhaps make a comic that shortens the words quite a bit but still captures the character's expressions, the battle placements, the awesome explosions, but more importantly the emotions. That would be a super cool venture.

Needless to say the updates have been estranged to the Nth degree. Editing the book was a priority A directive in order to continue with the story, namely because I needed to make sure that my previous passages A) held up the test of time, B) had continuity, C) spoiled enough information, and D) didn't have grammar mistakes, spelling mistakes, word omissions, or weird uses of dialogue/narrative placement. I swear I'll make it up to you. It's not a promise to you really, it's a promise to myself.

* * *

_Story Notes:_

N/A

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

Uploaded, 10/26/11

| part one of three/battle completely drafted and framed/deciding on sidestory fill-in |

RE: edit. 03/16/12

RE: edit. 01/29/13


	23. Part II, VS Ambipom!

**Chapter Sixteen: Battle for the Beacon Badge, Part II – VS Ambipom! **

Despite the fact that Ash and Volkner's Pokémon collectively expelled the most persistent trio of Pokémon thieves clean through Volkner's newly renovated gym, Volkner didn't seem to be too distressed. After making a mental note to patch the hole after the battle and laughing darkly about how he never even installed a retractable roof, Volkner publically congratulated Ash on his accomplishments.

**[16:15 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Gym), Sinnoh Region**

"Ash," Volkner began. "You're actually the first person to ever make it to the top of my rock climbing challenge! You should be proud of this achievement alone! It is a very special achievement indeed."

"Thanks Volkner, but I don't get it," Ash asked. "What's so special about climbing that wall?

"Well," said Volkner quizzically. "You're not actually the first to race me to the top! Flint was the first, and even he didn't finish before the time went out! I bet he never told you that!"

Ash's eyes widened at the revelation and instinctively darted over to the first row of stands where he saw Flint smirk with obvious indignation. Flint gave Ash a thumbs up and Ash returned the favor before focusing back on the defending Gym Leader before him.

"Especially since you've made it this far, I can tell we're going to have an absolutely awesome battle!" Volkner continued. "Let's make this a great match."

"You bet Volkner!" Ash nodded with a wide grin at the mere thoughts in his head. "Better yet, I'm gonna win this battle and earn the Beacon Badge!"

"Hehe…" Volkner chuckled to himself. "I'd love to see you try!"

"The second phase of the gym challenge will now commence," the moderating bot spoke in a neutral synthetic voice. "The challenger and defender are each allowed up to four Pokémon in one on one matches. Only the challenger is allowed to make substitutions. No time limit. Begin the battle!"

Volkner enlarged the Poké Ball of his choice and threw it authoritatively into the air. "Electivire, let's go!"

The white light dissipated to reveal a behemoth yellow Pokémon dashed with black bolt-shaped stripes across its body. Its two mammoth tails swung cyclically in eager anticipation for its opponent.

"Vire! Electivire!"

"An Electivire, huh?" Ash said, studying Volkner's choice for a split second before making his decision. "Grotle, I choose you!"

"Gro—grotle!" Grotle yelled out, ready to go, stomping his front legs against the ground.

"That's good," Dawn commented on the sidelines. "It seems Ash is actually using his head for once by sending out a resistant type like Grass!"

"That's true." Brock nodded in agreement. "It's kind of strange to not see Pikachu being the first one sent out."

"Let's just hope Ash knows how to counter Volkner's attacks," Cynthia stated bluntly.

"Wait," May asked. "What do you mean?"

As if in response to May's question, Volkner raised his arm and directed it towards Ash's side of the field.

"Electivire, use Fire Punch!"

"Oh no!" May exclaimed, made suddenly aware of what Cynthia was talking about. "This is bad!"

"Here we go, Grotle!" Ash hardened his gaze and commanded, "Use Razor Leaf on Electivire!"

"Electivire, block those leaves with Fire Punch!"

Electivire stayed the course and swung his arm throughout the shearing leaves without difficulty. In a matter of seconds, the barrage of foliage was reduced into smoldering crisps.

"Electivire!" Volkner yelled out. "Keep using Fire Punch and charge that Grotle!"

"Grotle, get in there and use Rock Climb!" Ash ordered in retaliation.

Without wasting any time, Grotle raised himself on his hind legs, and slammed his front two into the ground with a mighty roar, sending a massive fissure on an intercept course with Electivire. When the terrestrial energy found its mark, Electivire was rocketed into the air by a pillar of earth, and Grotle charged ahead with his claws extended, intending to ram the shaken Electivire off the edge back down to the ground.

"Electivire, concentrate!" Volkner shouted out amid the rumbling rubble of the attack. "Get your center of balance steady! You can do it!"

With that order Electivire managed to stabilize himself atop the earthen pillar just as its creator dug his claws into the base, climbing the cliff face at alarming speed.

"Now's your chance!" Volkner directed. "Use Brick Break!"

Just as Grotle had reached the apex of his creation, Electivire swung his right hand straight down onto Grotle's head, propelling the Grass type straight into the ground from whence he came.

"Grotle!" Ash yelled out in concern. "Are you alright?"

Barely managing to stand up on his four legs, Grotle gave a resolute nod back to his trainer despite the impact. Ash sighed in relief but wondered how to power past the inane damage Grotle took.

"I've got it!" Ash exclaimed, spotting the opening left by Team Rocket' unique gym 'departure'. "Use Synthesis!"

Grotle smiled and assumed his regenerative stance, devoting all of his physiology into absorbing the direct beam of sunlight coming through the hole in the roof.

"Rattata," Volkner said to himself. "Electivire, we have to stop them from recovering! Run down that Rock Climb and hit em' with a maximum power Ice Punch!"

"Shoot!" Ash cursed his luck. "Grotle, you've gotta stop using Synthesis and dodge that attack!"

Electivire grunted in affirmation and allowed for a cool, hostile energy to flow around his fist as he ran down the hill Grotle created. Grotle quickly realized the impending danger and slowly stopped regenerating in the sunlight.

"Oh no!" Dawn's eyes widened in horror. "Grotle won't stand a chance if that hits! It'll be over right there!"

"Come on, Ash!" May murmured as she anxiously squeezed Pikachu closer to her chest. The very thought of the incredibly effective move was too much to bear.

Grotle managed to resume his fighting stance after absorbing the sun's rays but Electivire made too much progress down the slope to be avoided. The crushing attack was imminent.

"Give it to em'!" Volkner shouted out.

"Grotle, no!" Ash yelled out in disbelief.

Nothing but the sound of growing water crystals were heard as Electivire hit his mark and the chilling temperatures washed over Grotle's vulnerable body. The water from the surrounding atmosphere and Grotle's perspiration on his exoskeleton crystalized into ice and began encapsulated his entire body. After a few seconds, Electivire retreated hesitantly from a single block of ice with Grotle paralyzed within it.

"Grotle, come on buddy, break out of that ice with a Razor Leaf!" Ash yelled out. Nothing but empty silence permeated the battlefield.

"Grotle, you've gotta break free!" Ash called out in desperation. "Use Synthesis again!"

Volkner watched on as Ash did his best to break through the crystalized water on sheer will, but decided that enough was enough.

"Ash, your Grotle put up an amazing fight against my Electivire, but I'm afraid it's over. You're not going to be able to break out of that block of ice just by wishing it. Besides, Grotle is weak to Ice type attacks. This round is over."

Ash kept his gaze directed at Grotle's back, still completely trapped in ice. As much as he didn't want to admit it, it was obvious that the round was over. Volkner nodded and looked to the moderating bot and asked for a verdict.

"Moderating bot?"

"Grotle is able to continue battling," replied the bot.

"That's settled then, Ash! Send out your next…" Volkner nodded absentmindedly. "Wait, _what_?"

"Grotle is able to continue battling," replied the bot with the same neutral tone.

"That can't be right, Grotle is clearly—" Volkner protested, stopping his train of thought to look upon the battlefield. "No way…"

Right in front of Volkner, Ash, and the entire crowd's eyes, the blaring block of ice no longer remained a refracted impression of a helpless Grotle. Instead, the entire mass shone with brilliant radiance. The ice block was glowing with silvery-white energy.

"Grotle!" Ash exclaimed. "You're… you're—!"

"Of course!" Volkner exclaimed to himself. "No wonder the bot didn't decide the battle sooner! This battle is just beginning!"

Everyone watched in eager anticipation as the ice slowly displayed fault cracks all along the edges. Within seconds, the frozen water shattered in a brilliant shower of miniscule shards as Grotle's form changed. With each passing moment, Grotle's body expanded, his legs thickened, and the growth of trees on his back matured into a healthy oak-like wood.

"Tor…" the great turtle growled lowly. He lowered his head, sharpened his eyes, and leaned forward, roaring with all of its might at his foe. "Torterra!"

"This is incredible!" Volkner said. He stood in awe of the new Pokémon standing on the battlefield, eager to prove its newfound strength, and felt a chill shiver down his spine. "That Grotle evolved within the ice on sheer will!"

"You did it Torterra!" Ash cheered, beyond ecstasy. He pumped his fist into the air and yelled out his congratulations. "Way to show that block of ice who's boss!"

Torterra nodded and growled menacingly, clearly just as excited about his new form as his master. While Ash checked the PokéDex for new information, Torterra stomped his left frontal leg getting a feel for his new weight and might. Clearly, what he saw and what he felt excited him.

"Torterra, the Continent Pokémon," the singsong voice relayed. "Torterra is the final evolved form of Turtwig. Sometimes small Pokémon will gather to make their nests on a Torterra's back."

"Torterra, that was totally awesome!" Ash exclaimed. "Alright, let's try out a new move! Use Leaf Storm!"

Torterra slammed his back legs into the ground for stability and poured energy into the newly grown tree on its back, resulting in an overpowering slew of leaves. In one fluid motion, Torterra directed the barrage at Electivire with twice the ferocity of Razor Leaf.

"Electivire, use Fire Punch one more time!"

Electivire complied and attacked the mass of leaves with a repeated Fire Punch. With great effort, Electivire's heated fists managed to resist the full length of the attack, not without Electivire breaking a sweat.

"Time to change it up!" Ash wasted no time in ordering the next attack, hoping to use Torterra's newfound strength. "Torterra, get ready to use Earthquake!"

"Rush it before Earthquake hits!" Volkner ordered in defense.

Electivire nodded affirmatively and ran as quickly as he could, using his stored electricity to give himself an electric boost. Torterra once again lifted his frontal legs into the air in preparation for another ground attack.

"Use Brick Break!" Volkner yelled out as his Pokémon crossed into the enemy governed space. "Go, go!"

"Oh no you don't!" Ash swung his arms in defiance. "Torterra, use Earthquake!"

Even though Volkner's encouragement pushed his Pokémon to run with incredible speed at his opponent, it was a vain effort to prevent the inevitable. Volkner realized who's attack was to connect first.

"No!" Volkner cried out.

Immediately afterward, the entire gym complex rattled with a great earthly tremor. It shook both trainers to the bone, thoroughly disrupted the ease of the crowd, and coursed directly through Electivire's vulnerable Electric type body.

Volkner watched as Electivire's brave charge faltered and ultimately collapsed because of the tremors. The battlefield showed cracks in the floor's integrity as the ground splintered into rocks and fine sand. When the onslaught finished, Electivire collapsed on the ground, spent from battle.

"Electivire is unable to battle," the moderator bot determined. "The victor is Torterra!"

The crowd roared in excitement. If the defending gym leader lost the first round of the four on four; surely this match was going to be hard pressed. Volkner looked on to his Pokémon, pulled out his Poké Ball, and retracted Electivire.

"Good job Electivire, you've forced their hand," Volkner said. "We'll win this."

Volkner clicked and minimized Electivire's ball, then brought it back to the third slot on his belt. He looked at his opponent and saw the confident grin on Ash's face.

"Ash," Volkner began. "I am really impressed with the way you and your Torterra battled. I've got to admit, when Ice Punch hit its mark, I thought I'd won this round, but your will synced perfectly with your Pokémon, and your hearts connected. You should be very proud."

"Gee, thanks Volkner!" Ash bashfully rubbed the back of his head from the praise. "I'm just glad Gro—I mean, _Torterra_ got out of the ice okay!"

"But Ash," Volkner taunted as he unclipped his fourth Poké Ball. "Spirit and willpower will only get you so far. Let's see if you can do your job as a trainer and adapt! Go Ambipom!"

Volkner released his Poké Ball into the air and let loose his Long Tail Pokémon. Ambipom danced around and flexed his two tails in preparation for battle.

"No way, Volkner! You have an Ambipom?" Ash gasped in excitement, glad to see a familiar Pokémon species. "I remember raising my Aipom and watching her evolve after I traded her to Dawn. "

"You had an Aipom and she evolved into an Ambipom, huh?" Volkner asked. "What happened to her?"

"Dawn entered a Ping Pong tournament with Ambipom and she was really great at it, so we let her stay with Champion O for training," Ash replied.

"Then you know how versatile an Ambipom can be, right?" Volkner asked.

"Definitely!" Ash responded. "Since that's the case, Torterra, return!"

"Hmm…" Volkner wondered aloud. "Does this mean you don't think Torterra is suited to defeat my Ambipom?"

"Not that," Ash responded by enlarging another Poké Ball. "I just think my other Pokémon is suited for a real fight! I choose you, Gliscor!"

The dissipating light revealed a rather wide-winged Ground and Flying type Pokémon balanced on her pincer tail. Gliscor jumped up into the air and used her wings to glide gracefully. Making one circle towards her master, Gliscor winked at Ash who responded with a smile and thumbs up.

"I'll let you have the first move, Ash!" Volkner taunted, feigning a tone of generosity.

"Gliscor!" Ash commanded. "Use Sand Attack!"

Gliscor dive-bombed into the ground and kicked up a swath of sand into Ambipom's eyes, effectively rendering him incapable of visual awareness. Ambipom tried rubbing his tail hands around the eyes, but the whole ordeal was extremely debilitating.

"All right, Ash. You want a real fight, we'll give you a real fight!" Volkner consented. "Ambipom, keep your eyes closed and let your tears water the sand over time. Use Swift attack, no-miss variation!"

Ash didn't even have time to order a counter attack as he watched Ambipom release an uncountable amount of star shapes of energy at Gliscor. Gliscor couldn't dodge the entirety of the stars and took a crippling hit to her left wing.

"What the heck?" Ash was caught off guard and watched Gliscor fall to the ground from the attack. "Swift? No-miss?"

"It's a special kind of Swift that I helped Ambipom develop on his own," Volkner briefly explained. "Not many trainers know that an advanced Swift can't be dodged. It took us years to get to that level."

"Just great, so they can hit us without even looking!" Ash muttered to himself, frustrated. "Gliscor, you alright?"

Gliscor evenly stood on her hind legs and nodded.

"Alright then," Ash nodded to himself. "Get back in the air and use X-Scissor!"

"Alright Ambipom, just trust me…" Volkner asked his Pokémon. Volkner received a confirmation and then focused on the coming attack.

"Steady, Ambipom!" Volkner instructed. "Angle yourself directly away from my voice… perfect! Get ready—GRAB!"

"What?" Ash exclaimed in surprise. Gliscor's wings were being held perfectly in Ambipom's vice grip with his eyes still shut. Ambipom shuffled back several feet from the force, but managed to tightly hold Gliscor's wings without tumbling backward.

The crowd was going nuts at the spectacle. Volkner's ability to command his Pokémon with timely accuracy was a sight to behold. Ash had absolutely no idea how to break the vice grip. Amazingly, Ambipom not only continued to hold on, but tightened his grip even more using his left hand while simultaneously releasing the grip of the right.

"Oh no…" Ash realized what was soon to come.

Volkner yelled out, "Now, use Focus Punch!"

Ambipom allowed his right hand to glow with a bright bluish hue for several seconds before swinging it back for greater force. With all of his might and still closing his, he released all of the energy onto Gliscor's abdomen, sending her flying across the field in a frenzy.

Gliscor careened away from Ambipom with blistering speed, finally crashing to the ground in a heap. Ash gritted his teeth from the impact and encouraged his Pokémon to get back in the fight.

"Come on, Gliscor! You can do it! Stand up, please!"

Ambipom let the pent up moisture building in his eyelids fall, effectively clearing his eyes of dust. Volkner smiled at his restored Pokémon and grunted at Ash's encouragement to his own.

"It seems to me that your Gliscor isn't used to recovering from attacks. Ambipom, use Fire Punch!"

"Get in close with Fire Fang!" Ash ordered Gliscor as Ambipom charged his right tail with red-hot flames.

Gliscor flapped her wings and propelled herself to meet Ambipom's flames with a mouthful of flames. Ambipom reached the center of the field and swung his tail with all of his might as Gliscor clamped her jaws tightly around the glowering fist. For a split second, the two hung in the air trying to overpower the other's attack as flames gushed in jets away from the collision.

"An even attack, huh? Not for long!" Volker shouted.

"Fall back!" Ash, called out, not wanting a repeat of the last incident. "Gliscor, you're your attack!"

"Oh no you don't!" Volkner smiled devilishly. "Ambipom, use Focus Punch!"

Unfortunately for Gliscor once again, she was too slow and Ambipom swung another high energy punch right into Gliscor's abdomen, slamming her into the ground near Ash's feet. Ambipom landed cleanly, summersaulting himself backward until he was right in front of Volkner. He slowed to a stop, swung his tails into a defensive pose, and smiled, almost taunting Ash and Gliscor to continue from across the battlefield.

"Don't take this the wrong, way Ash, but it seems you made the wrong choice by switching Gliscor into the battle," Volkner said, crossing his arms over his chest with confidence. "I don't mean to berate you, but I can see she's not the most experienced Pokémon on your team…"

"Hmm," Ash frowned slightly in acknowledgement but looked to the Pokémon in front of him. He slowly asked, "Gliscor, are you good to go?"

Gliscor used her claws to climb back into a standing position and turned her head to nod affirmatively at Ash. Ash returned the favor and nodded as well.

"She may not be the most experienced Pokémon I've ever battled with, but that doesn't matter to me! We're still going to win this!"

"If you say so Ash. I want you to know, I don't like showing mercy," Volkner smirked in return. "This is your last chance to back out."

In return, Ash simply stood up straighter and pointed directly at Volkner.

"In that case, let me give you a warning. Your buddy Flint also told me that I should end the match we started just to save my Pokémon."

"You're kidding me…" Volkner said, raising his eyebrows in genuine surprise. "Flint told you to quit?"

"Yep," Ash said. He brought hit accusatory arm down to his side and continued, "Maybe he was right. Maybe I should have ended the battle right there. After it was all over my Buizel was so worn out he blacked out on the spot."

The entire crowd was stark silent, hanging onto Ash's every word. As Ash continued to speak, every member of the audience held their breath, not wanting to miss a thing. Hearing a top trainer talk about their Pokémon so intimately is a rare event, and everyone was paying rapt attention. Ash balled both of his hands into tight fists, remember the split second decision he made to continue back then.

"I care about my Pokémon," Ash said in a level voice. "I really do."

"So then…" Volkner could feel the battle start warming up again. He lowered his eyebrows from the surprise and slightly squinted his eyes in concentration. "What are you going to do, Ash?"

Gliscor bounced up onto her tail and readied her claws. Seeing his Pokémon ready to continue, Ash pumped his fist in front of him and spoke with steady resolution.

"It's _because_ I care about my Pokémon that I'm not going to call Gliscor back! Right buddy?"

"Hehe, you really are something special," Volkner smiled. He let his arms fall back down and dragged his foot back to steady himself.

Waiting several more seconds, Ash also took to a defensive stance and also prepared himself.

"Gliscor, use X-Scissor! Let's go!"

"Let's go Ambipom, finish this up with Giga Impact!"

Both Ambipom and Gliscor flew at each other at breakneck speed, each charging with different energy surrounding them. As Ambipom neared the first quarter of Volkner's side, the daunting purplish hue had already manifested itself and began spinning rapidly. Just as Gliscor passed her own quarter, her own attack had formed, the perfect cross of blue energy emanating from its thrusting claws.

Only a second later, the inside of the gym erupted in an explosion aligned directly in the middle of the battlefield. The crowd felt the shock wave force them back into their seats and Volkner and Ash nearly lost their footing from the blast. The force of the collision caused high speeds winds to pick up around the epicenter, spewing dust in all directions. Neither side seemed to be giving into the other as both Pokémon poured energy into the stalemate.

Suddenly Gliscor let out a battle cry that could be heard over the roaring winds, and then the X-Scissor cross began rotating and changing color. Instead of blue and point-blank, the energy developed into a counter-clockwise rotating cone of purple—the very signature of a Giga Impact.

Volkner risked opening his eyes to survey the attack on the battlefield and was dumbfounded. Seeing past the dark silhouette of his own Ambipom against the glowing energy at the center of the battlefield, he saw the illuminated face of Gliscor, mustering everything she had into powering the newly formed move. As the winds continued to circulate, Ash held onto his hat and watched in admiration as Gliscor's attack evolved into an even more potent and volatile assault.

"Awesome Gliscor!" Ash yelled, fighting against the roar of the continuous collision. "Give that Giga Impact everything you've got! You can beat them!"

"Show them your power, Ambipom!" Volkner countered simultaneously, shielding himself from the blast. "Go, go, go!"

Not a second later, the attack collapsed in on itself and exploded, knocking both Ambipom and Gliscor back, sending each flying into the concrete walls on their respective sides. Ambipom spun on his own axis and managed to grasp onto the battlefield ground to slow himself to a stop before the boundary lines, but Gliscor was not at that level. A giant crash of stone and the sound of a body hitting the ground later resounded.

"Gliscor, no!"

Ash turned around as Gliscor whizzed past him into the concrete, watching her collapse in a heap after leaving a crater in the wall. Gliscor fainted, out for the count.

The moderator bot repowered itself after getting knocked back by the last attack and announced mechanically, "Gliscor is unable to battle, the victor is Ambipom!"

"Good work out there, Gliscor!" Ash reassured his Pokémon as he walked in her direction amidst the cheering crowd all around him. He pulled out Gliscor's Poké Ball and retracted her inside. "You did your very best and even learned a powerful new move! You deserve a long, long rest."

Ash walked back to the challenger's box and adjusted his cap, only to hear Volkner give him a round of applause.

"Ash, your Gliscor is incredible!" Volkner exclaimed. "I definitely didn't expect her to suddenly produce a Giga Impact during this battle! This match is full of surprises!"

"You know, I'm so impressed with her!" Volkner stopped clapping and brought his hand to his hips and said with a grin, "I'd like to talk to you about some personal training for your Gliscor! What do you say?"

"Personal training?=" Ash was surprised but smiled at the idea all the same. "Alright, you've got it Volkner! But first allow me to end this battle! Go Torterra!"

"Damn the International Pokémon League board and their gym standards… you're gonna have to stick this one out too, alright?" Volkner jokingly said to his tired Ambipom as Ash's newly evolved Grass and Ground type materialized. Ambipom nodded curtly and steeled himself for more. "Just concentrate on speed. We'll take them down, no sweat, alright?"

Ambipom positioned himself to face off Torterra who already let loose another battle cry against his opponent.

"Let's go Torterra!" Ash ordered, striking the air with his fist out. "Let's take Volkner down! Use Razor Leaf!"

"Now!" Volkner anticipated the attack and ordered Ambipom, "Use Double Team!"

With the order made, Ambipom skillfully screwed up his battle stance and mentally projected hundreds of duplicate copies of himself along the perimeter of the entire battlefield. Volkner sighed in relief that his Ambipom could use the few moments of rest that Double Team provided.

"Oh no…" Ash's said as his eyes darted all around trying to trace Ambipom's copies. Gazing upon the sheer volume of illusions, the young trainer couldn't help but swallow the pit forming in his throat. "There's gotta be a hundred of those things out there! Use Leaf Storm in all directions!"

Torterra allowed his organic energy to build into the massive foliage on its back, causing the leaves to glow a brilliant bright green. With a mighty roar, Torterra released his onslaught and the Ambipom clones rapidly vanished.

"Good breather," Volkner mused. With only a few clones left to eliminate, he shouted out, "Use Dig to dodge the last of those leaves!"

Ash realized that Torterra's Grass type attack was suddenly useless as he noticed a giant hole had appeared on his right side. He gritted his teeth knowing what was to come and tried to think of something.

"I've got it!" Ash clapped his hands together. "Torterra, use Earthquake before Ambipom can get to the surface!"

Torterra grunted and lifted his frontal legs into the air for another devastating Ground attack, but then Volkner sprung his trap.

"Too slow, Ash! Ambipom, jump out of the ground and use Fire Punch!"

Torterra never had a chance. Just as Torterra fully raised his legs into the air, Ambipom quickly rocketed out of the ground and slammed his flaming right tail into Torterra's exposed neck. The mighty giant roared in pain and crashed to the ground after being knocked off his hind legs.

After a short pause the moderator bot raised its flag towards Volkner's direction and spoke, "Torterra is unable to battle, the victor is Ambipom!"

Once again the crowd roared in delight. At the rate that the battle was going, Volkner was in the lead, with one active Pokémon on the field and two waiting in the wings whereas Ash had spent two of his Pokémon already and now had to contend with a three of Volkner's finest.

Amidst the screams of the crowd, Ash withdrew Torterra back into his Poké Ball and gave him the customary thanks for a good battle. Unfortunately, Ash knew the odds were against him and he looked to the ground, trying to gather his thoughts.

"Ash… he could really lose this battle!" May hugged Pikachu even more tightly to her chest at the new turn of events. "Ambipom didn't even take a single hit from Torterra!"

"Yeah, he's only got two Pokémon left against Volkner's three," Brock nodded solemnly in agreement. "Even though that Ambipom is probably a little tired, it's not going to be an easy one to take down."

"Yup!" Flint grinned from ear to ear and crossed his arms. "Ash definitely has his work cut out for him! There's no way he's going to be able to beat Volkner at this rate. No way!"

Cynthia and Lucian were both smiling calmly at the situation. Whether or not Ash was going to win the battle, both adults knew that Ash was more than prepared as a trainer, and both were greatly impressed with his performance. Having said that, the question of the victor was still at large.

"The battle isn't over yet Flint," Cynthia spoke slowly. "I think Ash has what it takes to turn this battle around."

"Indeed," Lucian nodded in agreement and folded his hands in his lap. "I believe you are right. Let's just hope we get to see that."

In the few seconds that Ash was silent on the battlefield, May looked up at the trainer who was still thinking about his next move. At that, May stood up out of the stands with Pikachu in her arms, and yelled at the top of her lungs.

"Come on Ash! This battle's not over yet! You can win this!" May shouted, letting go of Pikachu to yell with both hands. "I believe in you!"

When Ash heard that voice he looked over to the stands and saw May shouting out her words of encouragement. Seeing May smiling at him pulled him out of his thoughts and he felt light again. Ash even forgot for a split second that he was actually losing. A smile made its way across Ash's lips and he made eye contact.

Ash gave a quick nod in her direction and turned back to face Volkner. He brought is right hand to the brim of his cap and turned it around.

"Thanks May. You are so right. This battle is not over yet!"

_Dear Readers,_

Hm. Apparently the last time I said Happy New Years to you guys and then said something about a new year's resolution to finish the drafts by the end of the year! … ONE YEAR AGO. Man, don't trust me to raise kids or anything. I'll promise to buy the safety seat and then never follow through with it until the kid's a teenager.

Here's some examples of the stuff that have to change. I also delete entire lines or splice them differently. Think about it as story-writing eugenics mixed with some neuro-cognitive development. HAH. I say that as I'm listening to the music from Pokémon Colosseum, specifically the music from Cipher's Lab.

squng – changed to 'swung'

Pokédex – changed to PokéDex

Story Notes:

N/A

_Author's Notes:_

Uploaded, 1/8/12

| part two of three/battle continuing/worked advanceshipping in/will operate on faster schedule/edited Grotle typing |

RE: edit. 1/10/12

RE: edit. 03/16/12

RE: edit. 02/08/13


	24. Part III, VS Luxray!

**Chapter ****Sixteen: ****Battle ****for ****the ****Beacon ****Badge, ****Part ****III**** – ****VS ****Luxray!**

After Ash turned his cap in the other direction he was ready to turn the battle around in the same way.

"Get ready, Volkner! Pikachu, you're up!" Ash said with a confident smirk. Ash stared Volkner dead on across the battlefield and shouted out, "Let's go win that Beacon Badge!"

**[17:03****P.M.] ****Sunyshore ****City ****(Gym), ****Sinnoh ****Region**

May felt something inside her glow with pride as Ash showed his indomitable spirit once more. May set the electric rodent on the ledge and quickly petted him before giving him a quick push to battle.

"Go get em' Pikachu!"

"Pika!" Pikachu saluted before he dashed to Ash's side of the battlefield. As soon as he got there, Pikachu's cheeks lit up like a lightning storm. "Pika, _pikachu_!"

Not a second after Pikachu reached his battle ready position, Ash's entire traveling party jumped in shock as a bright flash shot out of May's fanny pack and materialized right next to May on the ledge.

"Glaceon?" May asked.

Her Ice type sat resolutely on the ledge and stared straight ahead as if nothing else mattered. May wondered what was going on for a split moment, but then she realized why her Pokémon willingly came out of her capsule.

"Ohh! You want to see Pikachu battle, don't you?" May asked teasingly.

"Glaceon!" Glaceon nodded and kept looking straight ahead. "Glai…"

May nodded and also gave Glaceon a quick scratch around the ears before sitting down. Dawn and Brock looked at May in admiration.

"Good work, May!" Brock said. "You got Ash back in the game!"

"That was awesome!" Dawn nodded emphatically. "You even got _me_ to stop thinking that Ash even has a chance of losing!"

"Yeah," May agreed. "The best part is that I know it's completely true. He's going not leaving here without a gym badge, that's a fact!"

"Pikachu, this is it," Ash said to his Pokémon, bending down so that the little mouse was the only one who could hear him. "We're down to just you and Monferno and Volkner's still got three Pokémon left. I need you to turn things around. You ready?"

Pikachu nodded and sent an even greater flow of electricity to his electric sacs.

"Pikapi pika!"

"Let's do this…" Ash stood up and shouted out, "Alright Volkner, here we come!"

Volkner folded his arms and grinned. "The first move is yours, then!"

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled.

Pikachu steadied his hind legs, squeezed his cheeks tightly, and quickly discharged a huge surge of electricity towards Ambipom.

"Ambipom," Volkner reacted. "Stick out your tail!"

The electrons hit their target but strangely did not engulf Ambipom entirely. Only the outline of his tail caught the electricity, and even then it dissipated into the ground without any damage done to Ambipom. Ash let his jaw fall to the ground, completely dumbfounded.

"What?" Ash yelled out in disbelief. "Why didn't Thunderbolt have any effect?"

Volkner let a moment of silence pervade the battlefield before letting loose a booming laughter.

"Wahahaha! Ash, my friend, you seem perplexed!" Volkner beamed, seeing the look on Ash's face. He reduced his laugh to a chuckle and started, "Allow me to explain your plight! All muscles naturally produce sweat! Sweat is also a conductor of electricity because of the electrolytes and salt mixed into the liquid! For my Ambipom, using his tired tails provided a perfect guide for Pikachu's Thunderbolt! And with Pikachu standing on the ground, the electricity flowed right back to the source and completed the circuit!"

By the time Volkner reached the word 'electrolytes' Ash had already clamped both hands on his head to calm a raging headache.

"Pikachu, I have absolutely no idea what he just said…"

Ash's entire traveling group deadpanned at his words. Brock especially felt the urge to get out of the stands and smack Ash right in the trainer's box for his ignorance, but he simply resolved to explain the properties of electricity the next moment he got.

"Hahaha!" Volkner laughed. "Trust me, Sunyshore City wasn't built in one day! I know my electricity. So long as the circuit is complete where it's safe, no damage can be done! Ambipom, use Double Team!"

"Drat, if we can't use Thunderbolt to clear those copies just because he's tired, we're stuck!" Ash cursed his luck as hundreds more copies of Ambipom appeared on the field. "Hold on, Volkner just said that his Ambipom is tired…! Pikachu, listen for Ambipom's heavy breathing and point him out!"

"Pika!" Pikachu responded. Not two seconds later, Pikachu's tail sprung upright in acknowledgment and he turned to the left of his position.

"Alright, Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed. "Use Volt Tackle, let's go!"

"No way! I thought Ash said he _didn__'__t_ have a clue what was going on!" Volkner did a double take that Ambipom had been discovered that quickly. "Ambipom use Dig and get out of there!"

"Follow it, Pikachu!" Ash called out. Ambipom dug as quickly as he could, but Pikachu had already sprung into the air ready to unleash his sledgehammer attack. Not a second after Ambipom jumped into the ground to get away from the rampaging electric bullet, it was clear that Pikachu made contact with his target. The hole entrance ignited in a grand shower of sparks. After the light show was over, Ambipom flew out of the ground, motionless and completely defeated.

"Ambipom is no longer able to battle," the bot sounded off. "The victor is Pikachu!"

The crowd roared in approval as they watched Volkner's bastion of a Normal type get called back for a rest. Now it was clear that Ash at least had some tricks left up his sleeve and that the battle really was far from over.

"Awesome job, Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed with joy. "You definitely turned the tables on them!"

Pikachu jumped out of the hole Ambipom emerged from and landed neatly on Ash's side of the battlefield facing Ash. Pikachu beamed and gave the air a one-two punch and a thumbs up. "Pika—chu, pika!"

"Glay!" Glaceon yelled out happily with the rest of the applause in the stands. "Glaceon!"

Pikachu snapped out of his thumbs-up pose and his left ear perked up at the voice. He slowly turned to face the source, scarcely believing his own ears. When he saw that it was actually his old friend calling out, his mouth hung slightly agape before he tried to wave—

"Pikachu, we've got company!" Ash interrupted. "Get ready!"

Pikachu stole one last glance at Glaceon before turning towards his opponent, grateful to hear the words that Glaceon shouted. He shook his head free of distraction and let a few sparks dance around his body.

"This is starting to look like everything I've ever hoped for in a challenger, Ash!" Volkner shouted out. "Jolteon, you're up!"

A bright flash of light later, a yellow spiky furred Pokémon emerged to defend Volkner's title and growled menacingly.

"Jol… jol—teon!"

"I guess it's only fair then," Ash taunted. "You get the first move Volkner!"

"Well since you're being so nice about it…" Volkner laughed heartily at Ash's expense before immediately changing his demeanor. "Use Quick Attack!"

"Pikachu, you use Quick Attack too!" Ash retaliated.

The two electric types crashed into each other at high speed and bounced off, shaking off the impact. Both took significant damage, but neither allowed any weakness to show.

"You'll regret that, Ash! Double Team, let's go!"

"I don't think so! Use Agility!"

As Jolteon projected his visual copies, it appeared as though Pikachu ripped through each of them as they were being created. As Jolteon ran, he continued to project more copies running in opposite directions, but he couldn't manage to maintain more than three actual copies of itself without Pikachu cutting through the fourth and preventing the number from jumping any higher.

"Holy Shiftry your Pikachu is fast!" Volkner said as he felt beads of sweat fall down his cheek. For a few seconds all he could do was watch Ash's Pikachu dart from left to right, up and down. "Jolteon, on your ready, use Shadow Ball!"

Jolteon grunted in acknowledgement and prepared a Shadow Ball just as Pikachu landed on Ash's side to defend himself.

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail to blast that ball apart!" Ash yelled out.

As Pikachu jumped, Jolteon angled his Shadow Ball attack on a collision course. Instead of contacting and dealing damage, Pikachu spun in a front somersault, slammed his tail down, and dispelled the attack. Volkner grinned at the prospect of catching Pikachu while still airborne.

"Rapid fire Shadow Ball!"

"Rapid fire Iron Tail!"

As if he could predict where the Shadow Balls would hit, Pikachu kept spinning his body and slashed his tail once straight in front of him, then to his side, and once again diagonally to his right. After cutting each ball of Ghost type energy in half, Pikachu landed neatly on the ground and had his winning expression etched into his face as the spheres detonated above.

Had the cameras focused solely on Volkner's face at this moment instead of Pikachu's movements, the whole world would've watched his façade turn pale after watching the splendor. But then, the world would've also seen Volkner frown and adorn a completely serious visage right after.

"Okay Ash…" Volkner spoke in a level tone. "If you're going to play hard ball on us, it's time for me to get _on__point_, no pun intended. Lock and load, Jolteon!"

Jolteon sensed his trainer's newfound attitude towards the battle and growled menacingly before letting his stored static electricity flare up around his body. Within a matter of seconds, Jolteon's entire body of fur stood erect and aimed directly at Pikachu.

"Uh-oh Pikachu…!" Ash said, noticing how Jolteon suddenly appeared ready to lash out. "I think this is gonna be a big one! Use your Counter Shield!"

"Pika!" Pikachu grunted before jumping into the air with a twisting motion. "Pikauh!"

Pikachu spun himself vertically as quickly as possible and discharged a set amount of electricity—only enough to strike a few feet away, but due to his spinning in the air, the electricity coursed chaotically, creating an arching sphere of electricity. Volkner noticed that time had run out and he couldn't let Jolteon charge for any longer.

"Jolteon, use Pin Missile now!"

Jolteon hissed and ejected an indescribably huge amount of super sharp needles directly at Pikachu. The needles couldn't reach their target however, as the energy of the electric field countered the energy contained in Jolteon's attack. As the continuous wave of needles shot towards Pikachu, the Counter Shield kept renewing its electric defense due to the spin. After a few more seconds, Jolteon's Pin Missile had stopped, and Pikachu dropped to the ground, panting slightly, but completely unharmed from the attack.

"The legendary Counter Shield…" Volkner said in awe. He couldn't help but acknowledge his adversary's technique. "I remember Fantina mentioning it at a press conference before, saying how much trouble she had not just to break through it, but to guard against it. She called it the 'perfect offensive-defense move'."

Similarly as Volkner had done, members of the crowd whispered to each other or murmured to themselves about Ash's attack. Words like 'impressive', 'innovative', and 'ingenious' rang throughout the stands. Even though Ash could hear the praise of his Pokémon's hard work, he didn't let his guard down for a second, knowing that the final onslaught was coming soon.

"That being said," Volkner continued, "I'm not foolish enough to believe somebody's words and pretend that this move is invincible. Read my lips, I will break your shield! Jolteon, get ready to use _that_ move!"

Jolteon turned around to check to make sure that he was hearing things correctly. Volkner nodded to quell his Pokémon's initial speculation. Satisfied that he'd heard the order properly, Jolteon smirked devilishly and planted he feet back to prepare. Ash took up the hint and told Pikachu to steel himself as well.

"Get ready as well Pikachu, we're going to use your Counter Shield again!"

Pikachu nodded in apprehension and balled his paws into fists, ready to strike at any moment. Jolteon on the other side hissed menacingly in return as powerful arcs of electricity crackled around his body.

"Let's see what your shield can do against this sword!" Volkner said, pumping his fist into the air for emphasis. "Use _Thunder_!"

"Jol—_teononon_!" Jolteon shrieked as a super high voltage electric wave coursed through the air directly towards Pikachu.

"Now!" Ash commanded.

Pikachu returned to all fours and pounced into the air, effectively evading Jolteon's Just as he reached the apex of his jump, he spun vertically once more and released his own electric countermeasures. Just as the Counter Shield had fully taken shape, Jolteon redirected his Thunder attack and aimed it at the shield. The two attacks met each other with 'positively electric' results.

As Pikachu's spinning electricity met the Thunder attack, the negative charges of the colliding electrons forced the electric attacks to change shape, which had a strange effect on Pikachu's rotating form. Pikachu's altitude was effectively sustained, completely suspended in the air. To the crowd, it looked as though Pikachu was levitating in the air, held up magically by the attacks.

The battlefield lit up in a spectacle of arcing charges, chaotically hitting the ground, the metal in the stands, and even some of the lights on the ceiling, making them flicker on and off. It was practically a light concert inside the gym. Eventually Pikachu's moving mass had slowed to a stop directly above, 'crunching' the two attacks against each other.

Slowly but surely, Ash felt his hair suddenly stand up straighter as his hairs began repelling each other due to the negative charges surging through the air. At the same time he also noticed that Jolteon's Thunder was forcing Pikachu's otherwise perfect spherical shield to morph into an electrical egg. The sheer electric force from the Thunder attack was slowly deforming the Counter Shield sphere, elongating the front hemisphere into slimmer and slimmer ellipsoid, and the back into a wider and wider bowl shape.

Ash watched in fear and awe as the back half of the shield collapsed and spread outward. It was as if he was watching an electrical comet, with a dazzling spherical head but with a tail made of electricity. Volkner too was speechless as he felt his hair become too spiky even for his own preferences. Unfortunately for him, Ash decided to end the stalemate as soon as possible.

"Alright Pikachu, get out of there and use Iron Tail while spinning!" Ash commanded, hoping that this improvised attack would work. "Keep spinning until you slam right on top of em!"

Just as the crowd thought they would experience some more hair-raising electric attacks, Pikachu turned it around and stopped squeezing his cheeks for static charge. Instead, he focused his energy on his tail, letting it become incredibly dense and reflective. Almost immediately, all of the airborne electricity stopped spraying out in random directions and instead snapped around Pikachu's rotating direction like a magnet. However, instead of sticking around the magnet, excess sparks flew out from Pikachu's tail like a tire kicking up rain water behind it.

Volkner was no fool. He knew that if Pikachu's tail made contact with Jolteon, the damage would be incredibly severe, but Volkner also noted how Pikachu hadn't actually broken through the Thunder attack, he merely redirected it to his tail. Even further, Pikachu's altitude was decreasing very slowly. For some reason he was still basically levitating, albeit rotating like a spinning wheel and ejecting electric charge as he spun.

"What the heck is Ash thinking?" Volkner kept asking himself. "Pikachu is acting like a lightning rod... he's taken a huge load of damage!"

"Come on, Pikachu…" Ash said, through grit teeth. After seeing Pikachu slowly begin descending and rotating with even greater speed, Ash decided to let the attack continue. "I know you can do this!"

The crowd held its breath once more as Pikachu spun faster and faster still. As the electricity kept pouring out of the rotating menace, Pikachu slowly began losing altitude, albeit at an accelerating rate and inched closer to Jolteon, also at an accelerating rate as if pulled by an unseen force. Ash's entire crew watched this completely improvised and potentially fatal move with rapt attention, but one particular Pokémon in the stands couldn't help but yell with all of her might for her best friend's success.

"Glay! Glay—glay, g_laceon_!"

At that, and without warning, Pikachu let lose a huge yell and ejected thousands of volts from its body. The change was significant. Originally, Pikachu was obviously taking continuous damage as he rotated through the attack because his body was engulfed in electrons, but that was no longer the case. Pikachu's rotating mass suddenly turned into an entity that separated the organic from the electric. Before this moment, Pikachu's figure was practically a merger of electricity and mouse, but now the two entities were distinguished from each other.

Pikachu's angular velocity was so great that not only was his body nothing more than a yellow furry and blurry sphere, but even the electricity that once engulfed Pikachu's entire frame was forced to merely occupy his tail. Pikachu's tail was spinning so rapidly that the electricity didn't have enough time to reach his body through his tail.

"That's it Pikachu!" Ash shouted out with glee.

Volkner knew there was no time to dodge the attack due to Pikachu's now exponential acceleration and resorted to directing his Pokémon to up the ante.

"Jolteon, give that Thunder everything you've got! Crush them!"

"You can do it, Pikachu!" Ash yelled out.

Amidst one final yell from Pikachu, his rotating mass surged through the Thunder attack and slammed into Jolteon with repulsive force. Instead of a combustion explosion, the resultant explosion was caused by electric charges repelling each other, kicking up dust and ejecting the surrounding air in a concussive force field. Jolteon was smashed into the battlefield dust while Pikachu was thrown back into the air from the force before landing on the ground.

When the dirt in the air finally cleared up, Jolteon lay still on the ground, spent from electric discharge and physical collision whereas Pikachu struggled to stay up on his feet.

"Jolteon is unable to battle," the bot monotonously reported. "Pikachu is the victor!"

Once again, the crowd cheered, but this time at the prospect that Ash may actually win the gym challenge on his first attempt. He truly turned the tables from not two battle phases ago. Where he was originally losing, he was now in prime position to win.

"Goodness…" Cynthia wondered aloud whilst watching Ash and Pikachu's celebrating. She was still terribly befuddled by the strategy. "No doubt that attack was effective, but why on _earth_ did it work?"

"I have an idea, actually," Lucian folded his arms and analyzed the scenes in his mind. "It's because of Pikachu's rotational speed and then him using Thunderbolt. At first he wasn't spinning quickly enough so the electricity made it to Pikachu's body, but then as he used Thunderbolt, he repelled the surrounding electricity. Plus, when he sped up his rotation, the electricity didn't have enough time to make it to his body."

"But Pikachu was using Iron Tail!" Dawn looked over in confusion. "Doesn't that mean Pikachu's tail was metallic?"

Lucian just shook his head but didn't rebuke the question.

"You're right that Pikachu was using Iron Tail, but that doesn't mean that Pikachu's tail suddenly turned into iron," Lucian explained. "Iron Tail is just a misnomer for Pokémon technique where the user can flex their tail muscles so that it reaches an extremely high durability. The same thing applies for moves like Iron Defense and Steel Wing."

"So what you're saying is..." Brock began. "Oh I get it! That means that Pikachu's tail is just a semi-conductor, not a full conductor like real metal!"

"Exactly," Lucian nodded. "That's why when Pikachu spun faster, the electricity preferred to discharge into the air as opposed to Pikachu's body because his tail wasn't actually that conductive."

"Uhuh?" Dawn asked, unsure still of the details. She settled on looking at the battlefield trying not to think too much about what just happened. "Tell you what, I'll just enjoy the battle as is, no more strategy talk."

"I am definitely in that boat, Dawn," May agreed. "Although… I think Glaceon had something to do with Pikachu's win, right Glaceon?"

Suddenly May's Glaceon whipped her head around after hearing her trainer's suppositions. May winked at her Ice type, causing Glaceon to sweat-drop and look back to the battlefield in embarrassment. May spared her Pokémon any more teasing and simply cheered for Ash.

"Way to go Ash!" May shouted. "I knew you could do it!"

"Cheering on your favorite team always helps, but the competitor still needs true strength to win," Cynthia smirked. "We should be proud of Ash so far, but I wonder how he will respond to Volkner's last Pokémon though. This battle is really far from over."

Indeed, down on the battlefield, Volkner cradled his last Poké Ball in his hand as Ash and Pikachu settled back to their respective spots opposite of him.

"Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town…" Volkner said in a raised voice. "You've given me such a great battle already that I'm the happiest I've been in months!"

"No prob, Volkner!" Ash smiled, but balled his fists in preparation for the last Pokémon to come. "I'm just glad to battle my hardest."

"In that case, you're gonna have to battle harder if you wanna win this! My last Pokémon…" Volkner called out with relish. He lightly tossed the ball into the air, caught it without even glancing, and enlarged it all while looking resolutely at his opponent. "Go Luxray!"

His last Pokémon was revealed to be a trustworthy Gleam Eyes, with a flowing black and blue mane, striped with yellow bands across its forearms and a yellow tail.

"Luxray!" he ferociously yelled. "Ray..."

"Pikachu are you ready to go?" Ash asked his Electric partner. After getting an affirmative nod, he said, "Let's show them we're going to battle more than just hard! Use Quick Attack!"

"Pika!" Pikachu yelled before accelerating into a high speed tackle.

"Dodge that, Luxray!" Volkner commanded.

Luxray allowed his opponent to loom closer before finally sidestepping to his left and turning around to face Pikachu.

"How uncouth, Ash!" Volkner said. "Not even bantering about who gets the first move? Use Bite, Luxray!"

Luxray lunged into Pikachu's turn and just before Pikachu could spring into his turn-around Quick Attack, Luxray managed to grasp a mouthful of Pikachu's tail and sunk his teeth into the yellow fur.

Hearing enough of Pikachu's cries for help, Ash ordered, "Pikachu, use Iron Tail to break out of the Bite!"

After a second, Luxray felt his jaws reluctantly open up wider thanks to Pikachu's tensed muscles and soon enough Pikachu managed to slip out of Luxray's grasp and fled back to Ash's side of the battlefield.

"Great job, Pikachu!" Ash smiled at Pikachu's resilience. "Use Thunderbolt!"

"Two can play at that game, right Luxray?" Volkner smirked.

Simultaneously, both Pokémon tensed their bodies and allowed the buildup electrons surge toward the opposite side of the field. The colliding attacks appeared to be equal in power and met each other right at the middle of the field. Neither side relented and kept pouring electricity into their attacks.

"Pikachu, break off that attack and use Volt Tackle!" Ash ordered after looking at the even power situation. "Give em' everything you've got!"

Pikachu quit squeezing his cheeks and then launched toward Luxray in a tackling fashion, letting Luxray's lightning continue through the charged air down to the ground where Pikachu had just been. Pikachu then reapplied his electricity and let the sparks fly as he dashed towards his opponent on the ground. Volkner reacted as quickly as possible.

"Quick Luxray, jump into the air, use Iron Tail, then Thunderbolt on yourself!"

The entire crowd collectively gasped. An honorable gym leader ordering his Pokémon to attack himself? This was completely unheard of. Nevertheless, Luxray jumped into the air, tightened the muscles in his tail, and proceeded to discharge a Thunderbolt onto his own mane. Just as Luxray began his decent toward the ground, his body lit up in electrons and attracted towards his tail, considering that his fur wasn't very conductive. Pikachu was in the perfect place to jump towards his opponent.

"Go Pikachu! Let's end this right here!"

"Slam them back down to the ground, Luxray!"

As Pikachu leaped into the air at an angle, Luxray swung his electrically charged tail and connected it with Pikachu's lit body. Unfortunately for Pikachu, the swing of Luxray's tail combined with the electric charge caused Pikachu's attack to rebound and Pikachu smashed into the ground, down for the count.

As Luxray landed on the ground and grunted to withstand the pain, the moderator bot inspected the defeated mouse that was buried in the battlefield.

"Pikachu is unable to battle. The victor is Luxray!"

The crowd cheered for Volkner's side, acknowledging his strength as a gym leader and his valor for defending the Beacon Badge. The crowd knew with absolute certainty that the final victory could turn to either side of the battlefield, and yelled enthusiastically to match their anticipation for the result. Volkner nodded and looked onto the crowds in appreciation before finally looking upon Ash's form in the middle of the battlefield, cradling Pikachu's worn body in his arms.

"Ash Ketchum," Volkner said softly to himself. "From the bottom of my heart, thank you…"

Ash reached his side of the battlefield and placed Pikachu carefully just outside the box to rest. He didn't leave Pikachu with May because he knew how much Pikachu liked to cheer on his teammates.

"You did a great job, Pikachu. Go ahead and take a rest," Ash said, patting Pikachu on the head until he came around and smiled back at his best friend.

Ash smiled but then frowned in concentration when he turned around to face Volkner. No words were needed this time. Just a simple nod from his opponent and Ash unleashed his final Poké Ball into the air. An ape-like Fire and Fighting type Pokémon materialized before Ash and let loose a quick burst of flame to announce himself battle-ready.

"Monferno! Mon, monferno!"

For a few seconds the two sides simply stared the other down, measuring each other's readiness for the fight. The crowd in the background cheered for the battle to continue, but for the two gladiators in the coliseum, those voices drowned away into a quiet stillness. With a raise of his arm, Volkner broke the battle of the wills and declared his first move.

"Luxray, use Quick Attack!"

"Use Mach Punch, Monferno!" Ash commanded as Luxray charged closer. "Let's go!"

Monferno roared then swung his right fist directly into Luxray's skull, preventing him from charging further.

"This is so awesome!" Ash exclaimed. "Use Flamethrower at close range!"

"I won't let you do that!" Volkner retaliated in defense. "Jump back and use Thunderbolt as you go!"

Just as Monferno swung his head back in preparation to unleash his attack, Luxray skillfully sprung away from Monferno in the direction whence he came and loosed a powerful stream of electrons. The infernal flames and electric charges crackled in the air until finally resulting in a small explosion.

"Good job, Luxray!" Volkner yelled as he shielded himself from the smog. "Rush them with Bite attack!"

"We're not waiting for them to hit us!" Ash ordered as he heard Luxray's grunts through the smoke. "Use Dig!"

Monferno eagerly leaped into the air and furiously dug his way through the ground on Ash's side. As the smoke cleared, Luxray crossed halfway only to discover that the opponent nowhere on ground level.

"Stay still Luxray!" Volkner yelled out. "We'll just sit and watch the rubble. I've got your back!"

"Oh really?" Ash asked with a slight hint of smugness in his voice. "Now! Go!"

Without any warning, and without any way to defend his Pokémon, Volkner could only watch as his Electric type was punched directly from the ground into the abdomen. Luxray flew from Ash's side of the battlefield all the way to Volkner's side from the impact. Needless to say, seeing his own Pokémon in a heap at his feet right after developing a counterstrategy was upsetting.

"I don't get it!" Volkner gritted his teeth watching Luxray get back on his feet. "Why didn't the ground shake before Monferno surfaced?"

"Blame it on Bertha!" Ash replied, satisfied that the field worked to his advantage. "She taught me the power of observation and I noticed that the ground on my side is much softer after Torterra's Earthquake!"

"No way… hah!" Volkner couldn't help but laugh. "Who would've thought the first matchup of this battle would end up being crucial for the last! I suppose it's only fair that you weaseled out of that like how I weaseled out of your Pikachu's Thunderbolt… Use Quick Attack again, Luxray!"

"Dodge that Monferno!" Ash yelled out. Monferno jumped to the side just in time.

"Don't let him get away, Luxray!" Volkner ordered. Luxray pivoted and launched himself at Monferno once again. This time, Monferno had no time to react to the high velocity attack and felt the full force of it.

"Get up Monferno!" Ash encouraged. Monferno managed to stand up and yelled out ready for more. "Good job! Let's use Flamethrower!"

"Thunderbolt again!"

Once more the two attack collided and resulted in a sizable explosion. The crowd cheered for more and Volkner fed their appetite with more orders.

"Now use Iron Tail!"

"Intercept them with Mach Punch, Monferno!" Ash retaliated. Just as Monferno sprung into his assault, Volkner smiled devilishly.

"We've got them where we want them Luxray!" Lucian called out. "Change to Bite attack!"

Luxray growled and opened his mouth wide open. Monferno's eyes widened as he realized he was throwing his right fist into a trap.

"Monferno, no!" Ash yelled.

It was too late. Monferno yelled in agony as Luxray's fangs sunk into his knuckles and pressed further. Monferno struggled to get out of Luxray's hold but resistance only seemed to make it worse. All of his punches resulted in Luxray simply craning his neck to evade them, causing the fangs to dig deeper.

"Monferno, you've got to get out of there!" Ash knew it was useless but had to try anyway. "You've got to! Use Mach Punch again!"

"Man, this was great while it lasted!" Volkner said, hating to see the battle end so irrefutably—but a win was a win. "It's time to end this match once and for all! Thunderbolt!"

Monferno cried out in a gut wrenching yell for the pain to end. Electrons flew from Luxray's static buildup through Monferno's arm and flowed through the ground back to Luxray's body and perfectly completed the circuit at close range. The Fire type was completely immobilized, his muscles jerked from erratic spasms, and his eyes dilated from the pressure.

Ash could hardly take it. Not only were his chances of obtaining the Beacon Badge slipping from his grasp, but the Pokémon he promised to raise into a fine warrior was enduring excruciating and unimaginable pain.

"Please Monferno," begged Ash. "You've got to make it through this… come on Monferno you've got to!"

A few incredibly long seconds later, Luxray relinquished his grip on Monferno's fist and stopped surging electricity through his body. Luxray backed away and let Monferno's fist fall, but Monferno remained standing, smoking, and burned. Ash's Fire type remained stoic, limp at the arms, his head falling to the ground, and his fur smoldering and singed. The crowd collectively held its breath to see whether Monferno would fall. It seemed the battle was in Volkner's pocket.

"Monferno!" Ash yelled out hopefully. He wanted to believe that there was a chance to continue, even for only a second, but to any normal person, it seemed that it wouldn't come.

In a way, Ash waited to hear the moderator bot speak just to end the battle and get Monferno to safety, but for some reason he felt a sense of great foreboding. He didn't know where it was coming from, but it caused him to become really alert. Like the calm before the storm, the recession of the shoreline before a tsunami, Ash sensed a great energy building up.

Volkner looked curiously at Monferno who was still in a standing position. He looked to Luxray who gave him a firm nod, an indication that Luxray also felt that the end had finally come.

"Referee, make the call."

The moderator bot paused for a short second, something quite odd for a computer to do. It seemed like it was still gathering battle data to make its decision. What it said was hardly believable.

"Monferno is able to continue battling."

Volkner mirrored the crowd and gasped before darting his eyes over to Monferno's body. It was still smoldering. It certainly didn't look like Monferno was able to continue battling, more like he didn't even look conscious.

Ash however understood the bot's judgment. Instead, he looked shaken and even a bit afraid. He understood what was going to happen.

"Pikachu, get ready, Monferon's not done!"

"Pika? Pikapi?" Pikachu looked to his best friend and wondered why Ash would say that.

"I don't know why… but I feel it!" Ash said, not daring to tear his gaze off of his Fire and Fighting Pokémon. In a low, confidential voice, he whispered, "Monferno's going to activate Blaze!"

Before Pikachu could even make a sound in protest, the center of the battlefield lit up in a brilliant orange and red light, and everyone in the stands felt a forceful heat wave wash over them. The once smoldering Monferno was now completely aflame; its special ability activated.

Another heat wave crashed over everyone in the gym and some even had to shield their eyes from the brilliant flames. Pikachu looked up to Ash completely worried about the outcome. The heat kept increasing its intensity.

"Luxray, you get back!" Volkner shouted with caution. Even though he didn't forsee this moment, he knew what was going on after years of battling a one particular rival of his. "This battle isn't over yet after all! I don't believe it!"

Monferno's flame increased even further, this time engulfing his entire frame. The flames seemed to mirror the singed fur and the plasma covered Monferno's shape. His eyes glowered a malicious pink, his limp arms attracted the devilish fire, and a maniacal grin slowly snaked its way across Monferno's face.

"What the… is that what I think it is?" May asked nervously as she quickly grabbed Glaceon off of the edge and sheltered her in her arms. All of her attention turned to the glowing Fire type Pokémon center stage.

"If you were thinking Blaze, you'd be right," Dawn said. She was all too familiar with this particular affliction, her hands cupped over her mouth in fear. "This is bad, this is so bad!"

"Dude, are you kidding me? This is Ash's lucky break!" Flint exclaimed, clearly excited by this new development. He leaned over his seat to better look at Dawn and said, "Blaze is what Ash needs to get back in the battle!"

"Actually Flint, I think this is Ash's worst possible nightmare, not his lucky break…" Brock lamented, reluctantly looking to Flint to tell him the bad news. "Dawn is completely right."

"What do you mean, 'worst nightmare'?" Flint questioned, dropping his enthusiasm immediately. He looked to Monferno on the field and raised his eyebrow questioning.

"This particular Monferno's Blaze ability doesn't work like you'd think. It's really a curse, not a blessing like it is for most Pokémon." Brock sighed and looked to the field as well. He remembered both times when Blaze flared and Ash was endangered, once against Paul, the other time against Barry. "The problem is that Monferno loses all connection to the real world and starts attacking anything without restraint—including humans."

"Are you serious?" Cynthia looked to Brock trying to get a grasp on the situation. "How bad is it?"

"Completely serious, and it's seriously bad," Brock replied. "The first time Blaze activated, it was in a battle against Paul when Monferno was still a Chimchar. It got way out of control and Chimchar bit hard into Ash's neck. Those scars are still healing. The second time was against Barry and Ash had second degree burns trying to calm Monferno down."

"Oh no…" May was heartbroken to hear that. She hugged Glaceon even closer. "Will Ash be alright?"

"I'm not going to sugarcoat things. Ash could be very hurt from this battle. We'll just have to trust him," Brock said, folding his arms in resolution.

May looked away from Brock, focused on Monferno who was beginning to animate himself, then finally bringing her gaze back to Ash.

"If believing in him is all it will take, than I can definitely do that," May said determined. "Come on Ash!"

Meanwhile on stage, Monferno was in a bad way. Blaze had fully activated and the hormone imbalance had caused Monferno to enter his berserk phase. He cried out in anguish and swung his neck back violently. He snapped it down toward the ground and raised his firsts in the air to unleash a super powered Flamethrower attack. The illuminating flames spread across the battlefield in all directions and increased the internal gym temperature by several degrees. Without warning, Monferno stopped gushing flames from his mouth and powered up his fist into a Mach Punch on the wall near May and the rest of the group. After retracting his fist out of the concrete on the wall, Monferno knuckle ran on all fours and powered into a Flame Wheel which spun across the battlefield without any care for direction or purpose.

"What power… but that Monferno isn't in control of it," Volkner mused, greatly intimidated by the sheer display of power. "Luxray, let's wait for him to calm down! Something isn't right here!"

Ash kept watching Monferno intently and maintained his cool, even though beads of sweat started forming across his brow, and his instincts wanted him to get as far away from the sick Pokémon as possible. Just as Monferno's Flame Wheel charge came back onto the battlefield, Ash called out to stop the rampage.

"Monferno!"

Another second later, Monferno stopped spinning in place and stood on the battlefield, his body still aglow with fire and eyes bloodshot from the internal pressure.

"Monferno, can you hear me?" Ash yelled out again.

Monferno turned around and made eye contact with his trainer, his eyes unblinking. The crowd couldn't believe that the rampage was halted so suddenly.

"Monferno…" Ash took one step onto the battlefield, advancing towards Monferno. "Does it hurt?"

Monferno took a single step towards Ash, mirroring his movements. He shook his head. Volkner was inwardly in awe at the bravado taking place on his field.

"Do you want this battle to be over?" Ash asked as he carefully walked to his Pokémon, putting one foot steadily before the other.

Monferno too slowly walked up to Ash, matching his pace. Now the flames surrounding Monferno's body glowed a deep red and orange. He shook his head yet again. Pikachu remained behind and prayed that Monferno had finally gotten control over his special ability.

Ash stopped about a quarter way away from the trainer's box and slowed to a stop. He kneeled down to Monferno's eye level.

"Do you want to win this battle?" Ash asked with a calm smile.

Monferno halted only a foot away from Ash, this time without losing control over himself and realizing who the person in front of him was. The flames glowed even brighter, bathing Ash in a renewed heat wave. For some reason, this particular wave seemed free of hostility… free from pain. Monferno nodded affirmatively and grinned as best as he could while Ash's entire traveling group gripped the edge of their seats to witness the final result.

Ash put his hand out palm up just like he did when he first welcomed Monferno onto the team. Remembering what May did to get him back in the battle, Ash took a leaf out of her book.

"Do you believe in me, Monferno?" Ash asked, mirroring the girls words do the letter.

Monferno gasped and looked at Ash's palm. Happy memories began flooding his memory; of joining Ash's team after Paul released him, eating meals and laughing with the other Pokémon, enjoying himself at Team Rocket's expense, battling against powerful gym leaders and foes, and finally evolving into a Monferno, just so that he could prove to Ash his loyalty. All of these happy thoughts made him calm down and slowly but surely, the bloodshot pink in his eye faded away into nothing but white. The flames around his body burned brighter than ever before.

With a joyful smile he slapped his right hand onto Ash's remembering the day they first became a team. Ash gladly held onto his hand even though the heat made him sweat, even though his hand was burning, just to give Monferno the strength he needed to prevail.

"Then let's win this battle," Ash said, closing his eyes and smiling. "Because I believe in you too!"

"Mon, monferno! _Mon_—"

Monferno's growls of victory and happiness were drowned out when suddenly his entire body began glowing white while still surrounded by the residual flames from Blaze. Monferno was evolving right before everyone's eyes.

Ash let go of the changing Pokémon's hand and backed away feeling another wave of energy coming. As he watched his most troubled Pokémon evolve right in front of him, Ash's eyes glowed in fierce pride for what Monferno accomplished. As the white light slowly dissipated, the resultant form emerged and let loose and even greater surge of fire energy flow around his body.

"Infer! _Infernape_!" the great Fire and Fighting type cried out amidst the glowing flames surrounding it. All traces of madness seemed to have been erased as Infernape, although badly damaged, stood stoic and proud—just like his trainer and friend.

"I am so proud of you, Infernape," Ash gave Infernape one last word before continuing the battle. "Let's finish this."

Volkner let Ash settle back into the trainer's box and couldn't help but feel goose bumps at the scene he just witnessed. As he stared down Ash's and his newly evolved Pokémon, he couldn't help but add to the moment.

"This battle was meant to be. I can feel it!" Volkner said, feeling shivers run down his spine. "I haven't felt like this in so long… let's have a final battle no one will ever forget! Luxray, rush them with Quick Attack!"

Ash wouldn't let Luxray get close enough for a final blow and instructed his new powerhouse, "Infernape, use Flamethrower!"

Not only did Infernape's evolution increase the power of the attack, but his special ability Blaze caused further power output and Luxray was bathed in a powerful jet of superhot flames. Luxray fought back and maintained his ground but was quickly getting singed from the flames.

"Charge through with Spark!" Volkner ordered.

"Use Mach Punch!" Ash said in retaliation.

Both parties charged into the fray. Infernape's Mach Punch connected with Luxray's back, smashing him into the ground while Luxray's Quick attack crashed into Infernape's abdomen and rammed him back onto his side of the battlefield. Inferno struggled to get up off the ground while Luxray managed to get back on his paws.

"Man… This battle is really heating up!" Volkner wiped the sweat on his forehead. "Iron Tail, let's go!"

"Use Flame Wheel to dodge!" Ash ordered with a swing of his hand forward. "Let's go!"

Infernape increased his flame output through Blaze and began continuously unleashing flames through his mouth to form a tire of fire, evading Luxray's hard tail attack. Infernape's moving wheel of fire slowly circled around to face Luxray whilst spewing flames in all directions on the ground, leaving bits of molten glass on the field.

"Use Thunderbolt on yourself and Iron Tail again!" Volkner added as Infernape jumped into the air to ram Luxray.

As Luxray swung his tail downward to meet Infernape's angled jump, the two met in an explosive collision, sending Luxray back into the air and Infernape to the ground. Infernape recovered first and managed to get a foothold on the battlefield while Luxray back flipped upright on his paws. Infernape was in Volkner's half of the battlefield and Luxray was in Ash's half. Simultaneously both trainers ordered their Pokémon to attack and reorient themselves whilst doing it.

"Luxray, circle around and use Thunderbolt!"

"Infernape, come back to me and use Flamethrower!"

Luxray growled before he sprinted in a curve directly mirroring Infernape who also jumped into action by running nearly in a circumference towards Ash. Halfway through the sprint, both parties unleashed their respective attacks at each other. The arcing electricity formed a sort of field for the waves of fire to collide with, resulting in multiple rotating explosions in the center of the field on contact. The shock waves of the resulting explosions and smoke eventually forced the two Pokémon to shield themselves and to resist sliding on the floor from the blasts.

With Luxray and Infernape panting for breath, both trainers knew that the final move had come. The last card in each of their hands to be laid on the table, the winner to be decided. Ash stared into Volkner's deep aqua eyes from across the battlefield as Volkner looked Ash's auburn eyes in full force. Both smiled and nodded at each other, knowing that this last attack would end everything.

"Truly, this is a battle worthy of the championship…" Cynthia said softly to herself, watching the two Pokémon trainers on the field.

"Luxray, it's time to show Ash our true might! Let's use our best combo! Quick Attack then Spark, let's go!"

"Infernape! It's time to show them what we've got! Use Flare Blitz, now!"

As Infernape unleashed the full extent of the power Blaze contained, Infernape dashed with every muscle in his body, exuding a hot mass of blue flames around its entire body, resembling a bullet made of aqua colored fire. Luxray also dashed forward in a Quick Attack before suddenly discharging an overwhelming amount of electrical energy, originating at his snout, so that as Luxray kept charging the electricity trailed him as well like an crackling yellow arrow.

In that split second that separated Infernape and Luxray from connecting their two attacks, Ash and Volkner hoped for success with all of their might. That small amount of time seemed to stretch out for much longer, as every soul in that gym reached out with their thoughts and touched the two Pokémon in the ring. After that treasured moment to be remembered for all time passed, Infernape's flames and Luxray's static collided.

At first the two energies seemed to mesh as if they combined, but only milliseconds later, the force ricocheted and exploded with a shock wave that swept across the entire battlefield, kicking up dust, wind, and stray arcs of fire and static.

Volkner bent his knee and covered his eyes with his arm against the onslaught, his clothes ruffling as the smoke and wind rushed by. Ash was knocked off of his feet and fell to the floor on his back where Pikachu was gripping the ground on all fours to withstand the forces. Ash pushed against the ground and raised his head to see the result and endured the smoke and embers flying at him.

A moment later the smoke cleared and revealed two Pokémon butting heads right in the middle of the battlefield, connected by their temples, staring into each other's pupils, waiting for the other to back down.

Knowing there wasn't much time left before one of them fell, Ash quickly rose to his feet and yelled with all of his might.

"Infernape, I believe in you!"

Miraculously, Infernape heard his trainer's call and blinked, just before raising his forehead off of his opponent's. Luxray tried to do the same and struggled to back away, but his muscles were shaking from exhaustion and ended up not moving at all.

Once more, Ash called out to his Pokémon.

"Infernape!"

At that, Infernape took three steps back out of the inner Poké Ball inscribed in the middle of the battlefield and took in a deep breath. As Infernape let out all of the spent air in his tired lungs, Luxray finally closed his eyes and let gravity take over his body.

Who knows what happened first. Maybe it was the ear splitting roar of the crowd cheering for the victor of an epic fight. Maybe it was Volkner slowly approaching Luxray, petting him, retracting him into his ball, and then reaching into his coat pocket for the Beacon Badge. Maybe it was Ash's friends and Volkner's superiors who climbed out of the stands to congratulate the victor. Or maybe it was just Ash who ran out to the mangled battlefield to hug his prized Pokémon with Pikachu, and to strike a victory pose for everyone to see that won his entry into the Sinnoh League.

But whatever really happened, one thing was written forevermore.

"Luxray is unable to battle!"

"The victor is Infernape! Therefore, the victory goes to—"

"Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!"

* * *

_Author's Responses to the Reviews:_

**TanktheAggron:** You are absolutely right. As a result I have updated all of the text thus far with the corrected Typing. Thank you so much for pointing that out! I guess I have to blame that on never starting out with a Turtwig in D/P. :P

**Oblit1519:** Hahaha, I wish I could pull a stunt like that, but Charizard isn't part of Ash's Sinnoh team, so it'd be unfair to his regular team if he called that favor in. I hope this battle sequence was good enough!

**Anonymous (1):** TR are currently professional criminals in the anime, but since I'm staying in Sinnoh I'm planning on sticking to their Sinnoh selves and using them as comic relief for now. Perhaps if I branch to Unova in the future I'll do those three guys justice.

**Anonymous (2):** As for MD2, I don't plan on doing everything by the MD2 book, but I will be borrowing heavily from it. It's actually the glue that holds my universe together.

**Max Tiger:** I'm pretty surprised that you thought Part I was more exciting! That one was a bitch to write. It's tough making special impressions on paper. Resolutions? Dude, I was supposed to run and work out. It's below freezing in the mornings. FUCK RESOLUTIONS. Not the writing one, lol

**Anonymous (3):** Yeah, physics is just a tough subject. I'm going to be introducing a lot of mind melding theoretical physics, but here's a tip-off, a BIG spoiler. My story is based on the theory that we live in a Multiverse, or the theory that there are other universes out there. Some may be similar to ours and there may be universes completely different than ours.

**Ahkalia:** I'm glad you're digging the story! You probably won't dig my update record. I will explain Aura as soon as possible, but it'll take some time and a separate supplemental story to do it. This project of mine is massive. These sixteen chapters are literally just the surface.

**lil' ninj:** Dude, I LOVE the name. I wish I could come up with something as flyy as you did. :D

**Tema-chan145:** It's so nice knowing that I actually gripped someone's interest like I did yours! It's a real compliment. Don't worry about not reviewing every chapter. I call that shit review inflation. Lolz

**Ghost of Anonymous Past:** Freaky cool name too, man. PMD and MD2 is so interesting to me because of time travel and all that jazz. It's just such a great tool I can use to actually [BIG SPOILER:] explain the history of characters, explain why they're so close to each other, and even more importantly, REVIVE dead characters.

* * *

_Dear __Readers,_

So apparently when I first published this, college was beginning the second semester, I was rushing in the Spring, and writing the story was going strong. A lot of shit has happened since then like induction into my fraternity, a rollercoaster of grades, a rollercoaster of girls, and a rollercoaster of trying to finish this story. For me, this story represents a lot more than just my vision of the Pokémon universe. For me, this story represents my ability to take risks, but then to follow through with them. As of right now, I seem to be failing at the latter half, but succeeding at the former. I will finish this story one way or another, fortunately there's no way for writer's block to enter into the picture because the plot has been fleshed out completely anyway.

So this chapter also marks my 100,000 word mark. That puts me ahead of a lot of established literature out there like _Animal Farm_, _Of Mice and Men_, _The Pearl_, the _Torah_, and _Captain Underpants_. Once I reach 300,000, then we're cooking common literature like _Twilight_ and _Harry Potter_.

This chapter also marks my attempt at _Prepare for Unforeseen Consequences_, a Portal and Half-Life crossover that I've also completely fleshed out the plot line to. Needless to say, I have ideas coming out my ass about stuff, but implementing them is such a challenge.

* * *

_Story Notes:_

N/A

* * *

_Author__'__s __Notes:_

Completed, 01/08/12

Uploaded, 01/12/12

| part three of three/word count estimation completely off/began review responding/established the importance of believing in someone |

RE: edit. 03/16/12

RE: edit. 02/11/13


	25. -Part One, Arc Two-

"_The toughest steel is forged in the hottest fires." – Anonymous_

* * *

Title: **Part One, Arc Two – Assault on the Team Galactic Base**

Category: Games » Pokémon; TV Shows » Pokémon  
Author: TestSubject069  
Language: English, Rating: Rated: T  
Genre: Adventure/Romance/Friendship  
Published: 03-03-12, Complete Date: 00-00-15  
Chapters: 15 _approx_., Words: 150,000 _approx._

* * *

**Summary:**

Beacon Badge in hand, Ash thought he was ready to bring Team Galactic to justice, but quick reminders of life's grotesqueries bring long buried conflicts back to the forefront of his mind. May would like to feel strong and confident for the days ahead, but she remains plagued by the torments of recent memory; of failure and rejection. With the motives of Sinnoh's largest criminal organization unclear, any doubt could threaten chances of shutting these offenders down. Will Ash and May overcome their demons together? Or will they succumb to despair and loss?


	26. Call of Duty

**Chapter ****Seventeen: ****Call of Duty**

The finale to Ash's Sinnoh gym campaign was madness. Not only did Ash's friends rush the battlefield to congratulate him on acquiring the final badge, but everyone in the stands: residents, tourists, travelers, even news reporters wanted a piece of the champion. Volkner too didn't emerge unscathed from the same treatment as he was immediately asked for his impressions by news reporters and newspaper columnists. Cynthia asked Ash to hand her his Pokémon for first aid and then ushered the rest of the traveling gang away to give Ash and Volkner their time with the fans. Lucian more or less flew out of the way—he didn't care much for fame. Flint wanted to stay but Cynthia convinced him otherwise. Brock, Dawn, and May just wanted to avoid the crowd.

**[18:30****P.M.] ****Sunyshore City ****(Gym Rec Room), ****Sinnoh Region**

The raucous sounds of the crowd lulled into a dull hum behind the closed doors and everyone except the two human combatants were speaking amongst themselves. Cynthia took it upon herself to heal all of Ash's Pokémon and called each of them out for first aid. Flint assisted Cynthia where he could and Lucian cracked open his book and leaned against a wall to read. May, Dawn, and Brock sat on one of the benches facing the three elite trainers and conversed.

"That was the most intense gym battle I have ever seen!" Dawn said, tightening her fists to contain her excitement from watching the battle.

"Yeah…" Brock nodded and folded his arms. "If you think about it though, that battle was actually a full six on six. I can't believe how well Volkner managed to run circles around Ash. He really tested him."

"True, but sometimes it was actually Ash who was running circles around Volkner!" Cynthia noted while running her hands along Torterra's underbelly to check for trauma. "He was battling at full power, I mean look at Torterra's shell! These burns are extremely severe… Sorry about that, Torterra, it'll get better in a few minutes."

"Torr…" Torterra winced but nodded graciously that the pain was only temporary.

"Yeah. I can vouch for my best friend," Flint agreed as he gently massaged Ash's Infernape's hands. "I know this was the most Volkner has battled in a very long time."

"So what do you think, Cynth?" Flint glanced over to his superior and asked after a short pause.

"Hm? About what?" Cynthia asked as she bandaged Torterra's burn.

"About the plan?" Flint smirked. He continued moving along Infernape's arm and massaged out the lactic acid buildup in the muscles. "Phase One was a complete success, right? Now we can move onto Phase Two!"

"Definitely, I'd say," Cynthia agreed. "You're going to be just fine by the way, Torterra! So Flint, now you know why I asked you to get Ash for me?"

"Hey," Flint rolled his eyes. "I was sold right after he battled me."

"You mean right after he beat the pants off you," Cynthia taunted, sticking her tongue out and pulling an eyelid down.

"Ahehehe…" Flint laughed. He continued to check Infernape for any outstanding injury. "By the way, considering that May's with us, did you work out a new plan yet?"

"I think so," Cynthia said, moving onto Buizel to lightly squeeze his muscles to check for injuries. "I should just ask May one last thing before I finalize everything. May?"

"Yes, Cynthia?" The brunette Pokémon Coordinator perked up and turned her attention to the Sinnoh Champion. "What's up?"

"How long have you traveled with Ash?" Cynthia asked, giving Buizel one last look before acknowledging him as unharmed. Cynthia moved on to Staraptor and asked, "Nothing exact, just a general number."

"Almost…" May began, bringing her hand up to her chin to think about it. "Two years maybe? It happened so fast, it definitely doesn't feel like that much time."

"I know what you mean," Cynthia smiled to herself knowing all too well the funny way time works while on a Pokémon journey. "And? How did you like traveling with him?"

"It was incredible!" May's eyes brightened as she tried to explain herself. "I don't know where I'd be if we didn't bump into each other at Professor Birch's lab. While we were together he helped me every day to become a stronger coordinator, and I did my best to encourage him to keep on going with his gym battles! It was so much fun!"

"Sounds like you two make a good team," Cynthia commented. While carefully raising Staraptor's wings to test for basic reflexes, she asked, "What do you think?"

"Yep! We really do!" May said before trailing off and looking to the ground. "Well…"

"What's wrong?" Cynthia paused to check underneath Staraptor's plume. "You sound apprehensive for some reason."

"I mean," May began. "It's been such a long time since I've left for Johto. Things change. People change."

"You got that right," Cynthia chuckled. "Some do anyway. But I don't think Ash is one of those people, right?"

"Yeah, you're probably right. He's still the same old Ash after all!" May smiled hearing Cynthia's words of comfort. "It's just that after my last contest, it felt like my whole world turned upside down."

"And now?" Cynthia asked while looking over Staraptor one last time.

"Seeing Ash again makes everything seem so…" May looked for the right word, but all the while felt something warm rise in her chest. "Everything seems all right."

"In that case May, you will do just fine!" Cynthia said happily. "Staraptor, you're all set."

Staraptor spread his wings and cooed affectionately. "Star, staraptor!"

"Cynthia?" Brock had one concern however. "Does your new plan, whatever it is, take Ash's newly involved Pokémon into account?"

"I hadn't thought of that, actually. I mean, I figured Monferno and Grotle were on their way to evolve, I just didn't think they'd _both_ evolve in this battle," Cynthia said as she stood up and brought her hand up to her chin just as May did. After some time, she dismissed her thoughts and said, "Honestly, it shouldn't be a problem. It could end up being a good thing!"

At that both Infernape and Torterra grinned to each other at the good news. Especially for Torterra, the change in size and Type were huge changes from his usual day-to-day.

"Speaking of those two, how _did_ Infernape and Torterra both evolve?" Dawn asked out of curiosity. "I've never even heard of two evolutions in one battle!"

"I think the answer is pretty simple if you think about it," Lucian spoke. Bookmarking the page with his finger, he took this opportunity to speak. "I'm confident that it was Ash's trust for his Pokémon that allowed them to evolve during this battle."

"Trust?" Dawn looked at Lucian wondering why something as simple as trust could initiate such fundamental changes. "What's that got to do with evolution? I thought it had to do with a Pokémon's level!"

"Ah yes, but level is only part of evolution!" Lucian explained, tucking the book in his blazer pocket. "You have to understand, it takes a huge amount of raw energy but even more _resolve_ for a Pokémon to undergo such a life-changing event. Imagine the kind of resolve it would take you, Dawn, to suddenly decide that you're going to shave your head!"

"Eh…?" Dawn blinked in utter shock before gripping her beanie hat very, very tightly over her hair. "NOOOOOOOO! Nononono! _No! No!_ Nonono!"

Everyone in the room laughed in good nature at Dawn's expense, even Ash's Pokémon. Lucian laughed heartily and continued his analogy.

"My apologies, Dawn, the opportunity was too great to resist! But you get my point, I imagine," Lucian smiled genuinely before returning to his explanation. "Going back to trust, I think you would agree that you'd feel much more likely to change if your friends trusted you and would accept you for who you are. Although, it seems that you're pretty opposed to getting your hair cut that much, so now you can imagine why Pokémon like your Piplup are opposed to evolving!"

"Oh no…" Dawn hastily made a grab for the Poké Ball containing her starter. Hugging it tightly she said, "I'm never making you evolve into a Prinplup if you promise I'll never go bald!"

Another round of laughter followed suit and Dawn hastily stuffed Piplup's capsule before gripping the edge of her bench seat, thoroughly traumatized at the thought of what her 'evolution' might look like. Lucian decided to make one more analogy.

"You know, in a way, I don't think Ash's Pokémon were the only ones to evolve today."

"Huh?" May asked. "What are you talking about Lucian?"

"I'm glad you asked, May!" Lucian exclaimed. "I think that not only did Infernape and Torterra evolve, but both you and Ash did—metaphorically, anyway."

"Wha… what do you mean? Last I checked, Ash and I are pretty much the same we've always been!"

"Oh I don't think that's the case, May!" Lucian said, wagging his finger tauntingly. "Let's start with Ash. Remember when Ash was down to only two Pokémon and he sent out his Pikachu? What did you say?"

"I said…" May looked up trying to remember and then recalled, "I said that I believed in him?"

"Exactly, May. Exactly!" Lucian nodded and folded his arms. "Did you notice how much harder he battled after you said that?"

"May, he's right!" Dawn said, finally recovered from her peladophobia. "Ash got really excited and pumped up! He even managed a two win with just Pikachu! I guess that's kind of like what happens after an evolution, you know when they get super strong and end up winning the battle because of it!"

"You… you think so?" May felt that warmth spread through her again for some reason, this time towards her cheeks.

"I know so, May. After you shouted out those encouraging words to him, he changed! He became so much more invigorated and alive!" Lucian said. "And then there's you! During the entire battle, you were so focused on the battle and so focused on Ash that you forgot all about whatever it was you left behind! In a way you've evolved too! Evolved beyond your past!"

"I…" May said, extremely startled. Suddenly she was acutely aware that every eye was watching her as she blushed up a storm. Trying to justify herself, she said hastily, "Well, uh, you know, I just sort of… I mean—!"

"—YO! Who wants to meet the owner of all eight Sinnoh gym badges!" Ash exclaimed busting open the entrance door closely followed by Volkner.

"Haha, are you guys alright back here? Sorry for not following you out, the press only just let me go for a short breather!" the gym leader apologized.

"Saved…" May heaved a sigh of relief that Ash barged in like that, relieving her from explaining herself.

Brock got up out of his seat an empathetically placed his hand on her shoulder reassuringly and smiled. May looked back to him and smiled thankfully, knowing how understanding Brock was. The two of them headed over to Ash to congratulate him. A makeshift line had already formed starting with Lucian and Flint.

"Magnificent battle, Ash, truly superb! I am also glad to see that Buizel has found his niche! You will make a wonderful adversary for the Sinnoh League."

"I know it ain't much considering that you already beat me once," Flint began and bumped Ash's fist. "But congrats on beating my longtime rival! That was a superhot battle! I'm impressed!"

"Congratulations, Ash!" Dawn squealed. "You and your Pokémon really pushed for that badge! That was awesome!"

"Great battle, Ash!" Brock said, offering his hand for Ash to shake. "Good thing Blaze turned out for the better this time, right?"

"You're tellin' me!" Ash said, taking Brocks' offer with a firm grasp. "I got pretty scared when Monferno started going wild. I didn't know what was going to happen next."

"On that note, I am very impressed with how you battled today Ash! You've definitely improved!" Cynthia said as she got up from crouching next to Gliscor. "All of your Pokémon are tired but after a good dinner and a good night's rest they'll be all right."

"That's great!" Ash thanked Cynthia. "I was so worried about them while those news guys swamped us, so thanks for healing them for me! I had no idea it could be such a pain to shake hands and answer the same questions over and over again."

Ash was rubbing the back of his head sheepishly and caught May's eye. She looked at him smiling.

"That was an awesome battle, Ash!" May said sincerely. "I'm really glad that I could be here to see it! Brings back memories of all of our adventures in Hoenn, right?"

"You got that right…" Ash agreed. He looked to the ground slightly ashamed of himself. "It's not fair though, you've been to one of my Sinnoh gym battles, but I haven't been to a single one of your Johto contests. I really wish I could've gone to see you perform!"

"Me too, Ash…" May said. "I would've loved that. Maybe next time?"

Ash looked back up to May and smiled. Resolutely, he promised himself that he would at least see May's next contest whenever it would be.

"Definitely."

"Hey Volkner, we were just about to go to the beach for some of Brock's cooking," Cynthia said, deciding to get the ball rolling. "Wanna come?"

"Oh man, a home cooked dinner sounds really good!" Volkner laughed heartily with a hint of sadness. "I can't though, the press guys want me to stick around to schedule interviews and TV specials. Get this! There are even regular trainers outside who want to set up gym battles in advance as well! I'm already booked for the next month with challenges!"

"Woa…" Flint furrowed his brow and smirked. "You for real man? That's sick!"

"I know!" Volkner exclaimed spreading his arms out like a Pelipper. "It's as if we just opened up the gym again! Now I'm totally swamped with work! Really though, I'd love to wind down and get some dinner with you guys, but I have to keep talking to everyone to keep the hype up."

"We understand Volkner!" Brock nodded knowingly. "It's really important for gym leaders to be public figures. That way the gym always has challengers! You're doing what's best."

"Indeed, it truly isn't a problem." Lucian agreed.

"Tell you what, Volkner," Cynthia smiled. "We'll keep you there in spirit!"

"Haha!" Volkner barked out loud. "I really do appreciate it! But before you guys go, Ash, I'd also like you to give you a gift for your journey."

"Really?" Ash asked. "Are you serious? What is it?"

"Well technically it's more like a gift that I never had a need for. My team members developed the technique on their own well before I was given it."

Flint made a conscious effort to sneeze at that moment.

"Well what is it?" Ash had no idea what was going on so he kept asking. "And what do you mean by _technique_?"

Volkner took out a small box that fit in the palm of his hand and a small disk. The box was silvery metal, had copper coils around its edges and two antennae on opposite sides of the box. The disk had a single metal ring in the center and the material was brown and looked flimsy.

"Ash," Volkner began. "I'd like you to have Technical Machine number thirty-two: Double Team."

An audible gasp came from around the room, especially from the younger members of the group. Nobody had ever seen a technical machine before, much less had the opportunity to use it. This truly was an extraordinary encounter.

"You mean it?" Ash looked at Volkner with wide and appreciative eyes. "I can really have this?"

"Take it as my personal gratitude for this amazing battle, and as a token for you to remember me wherever you go," Volkner eye-smiled and extended both items toward Ash.

"It'll also help me clean up the place," Volkner added like a theatrical aside.

"Pff, really?" Flint scoffed with mock indignation. "Well buddy, aren't you going to teach them how to use it?"

"Right, right," Volkner consented. "Alright Ash, listen up! I'm sure you know though that TM's can only be used once."

"All you've got to do is open up the box like so…" Volkner cracked the silver box open by pushing open a lock.

"Take that small disk, and put it in the center of the box right here…" He placed the flimsy dark disk into the box and let the ring slide down onto the spoke.

"And now without actually doing it…" Volkner instructed. "You close the box, ask your Pokémon to close their eyes, then aim the two antennae directly at your Pokémon. Flip the switch on the box, wait a moment, then when your Pokémon's eyes snaps wide open, they've learned the move!"

Volkner handed Ash the two items and the later simply stared at the device with wonder.

"Woa…"

Volkner continued, "Just a word of advice, that Pokémon will automatically learn the move and won't need to go through much training to master it. On the other hand, the TM won't function anymore and you won't be able to teach it to any of the rest of your Pokémon. But with a move like Double Team, I got around that problem by teaching it the hard way to the rest of my team after one of my Pokémon already learned it naturally. Any Pokémon can learn Double Team by TM, but only a few know how to use it by leveling up."

"Who learned Double Team on your team by leveling up first?" Ash asked, looking up to Volkner.

"My Raichu," Volkner said proudly. "After that, I let him teach the rest of the gang and now everyone can do it!"

"If that's the case, then you should probably first use that TM on a Pokémon that wouldn't learn Double Team by leveling up, Ash," Brock deducted. "Someone like Buizel or Infernape maybe?

Both Buizel and Infernape jumped up enthusiastically, almost competing with each other to get the TM first. Ash looked to his two Pokémon with wonder in his eyes. Before he could even voice any thoughts, Dawn inquired about how Volkner went about doing it.

"Hold on though. If Volkner's Raichu knows Double Team and he learned it by leveling up, how come Ash's Pikachu doesn't know Double Team? Why doesn't Staraptor know Double Team either?"

"She's got a point…" May brought her hand to her chin in thought. "Double Team is not that difficult of a move, especially for Normal bird Pokémon like Staraptor. Why don't they know those moves yet?"

Instead of celebrating with eagerness to learn a new move, Pikachu and Staraptor nervously shuffled in place, feeling every pair of eyes staring at them, wondering the same thing.

"Aww, look at that, they're embarrassed!" Cynthia squealed. "But it's nothing to be ashamed about! Trust me, some of my best Pokémon haven't learned Double Team yet."

"Even so," Brock interjected. "May and Dawn have a huge point. I've thought about this myself because I've been studying to become a Pokémon Breeder. So far I've never been able to come up with an explanation."

"Let me offer an explanation from personal experience and a bit of guessing" Lucian took a step forward and gestured everyone to listen in. "Technique learning for Pokémon isn't a very well documented phenomenon because it's hard to gather all of the data that's out there."

Everyone was paying attention, human and Pokémon alike.

"So far, there seem to be a few general rules," Lucian continued. "Pokémon usually learn moves in a specific order: weaker moves come before stronger moves. For example, Sandshrew might learn Scratch before Slash and Mashtomp might learn Mud Shot before learning Muddy Water. This is almost always true in terms of straightforward physical and straightforward special attacks."

"However," Lucian said, raising a finger to signal a huge contrast. "Specialty attacks which are either hybrid or non-physical don't always work the same way. Moves that are hybrid like Volt Tackle; part physical and part special, moves like Thunder Wave; non-physical but damaging, and moves like Double Team; non-physical and non-damaging can be learned at apparently any stage of a Pokémon's growth."

"Go on?" Brock nodded bringing the information together. "What about an example?"

"Very well, Brock," Lucian agreed before taking a look around the room. Suddenly his eyes rested on Ash's flying specialist so Lucian asked Ash, "What about Staraptor? It knows Brave Bird apparently from the battle today. When did Staraptor learn Brave Bird?"

"Um," Ash pondered for a second while Staraptor chirped knowingly. "I think when he was still a Staravia actually… why?"

"Ash…" Lucian smiled, inwardly glad that his example worked out. "Staravia aren't supposed to learn Brave Bird until they evolve."

Ash, along with all of the youngest trainers besides Brock exclaimed in unison.

"What?"

"It's true!" Cynthia supplied at Lucian's prime example. "Most Staravia only get moves like Aerial Ace, but your Staravia learned Brave Bird well ahead of its natural learning curve."

At this Staraptor smiled and playfully flapped his wings with excitement. It was nice to be praised by the Sinnoh Champion.

"That brings everything back to Double Team," Lucian said. "Even though Pikachu is certainly experienced enough to have learned Double Team, that doesn't mean that he's had a _reason_ to learn it, the same goes for Staraptor. I'll bet that just by teaching Double Team to one of your Pokémon like Buizel or Infernape, your other Pokémon will be able to pick it up right away!"

"Still, TMs are great things to use," Flint coughed to gain entry into the conversation. "Not… ahem, lying around doing nothing!"

"Woah buddy, it's your fault you never asked if I needed it!" Volkner grimaced and grinned from the remarks. He held his hands up in surrender. "At any rate, before you guys go again, there's one last thing I need to discuss with Ash."

"What's that Volkner?" Ash wondered as he stowed away the Technical Machine box and the TM32 disc itself.

"Some training for your Gliscor, of course!" You think I would've forgotten about that?

"Oh right!" Ash exclaimed, completely eager to hear what Volkner had in mind. "Hey, Gliscor, come here!"

Gliscor responded happily and eagerly skipped over to Ash's side. "Gli!"

"Alright, here goes," Volkner began. "If it's alright with you, I'd like to offer my training expertise to you, and personally train your Gliscor until you compete in the Sinnoh League at my gym."

"What…" Ash's eyes widened in surprise. This idea was completely unexpected. "Are you serious?"

Gliscor was also surprised. Leaving Ash to join Volkner's gym to train was not quite what she expected either.

"Gli?"

"Absolutely, Ash," Volkner replied. "I've gotta say, I'm pretty embarrassed that I publically underestimated your Gliscor on the battlefield. Just when I said that Gliscor was your weakest link, she goes all-out with Giga Impact! That's when I realized that your Gliscor is truly something special."

"My Gliscor? Really?"

"Really. Has your Gliscor used Giga Impact before?"

"No, she hasn't, this was her first time ever. Why?"

"My Ambipom should've lost. Well, what I meant was that he could've lost but only if your Gliscor knew how to properly use Giga Impact. My Ambipom wouldn't have stood a chance but luckily he came out unscathed. Basically, your Gliscor doesn't know how to use her moves properly."

Volkner let a small breath of silence enter between them. Suddenly he smiled and excitedly.

"But after that all happened," Volkner continued. "I realized that even though your Gliscor may be inexperienced, she has so much potential. I would like to personally bring that potential out and make her into a superb fighter."

"You really think so?" Ash asked.

"I do," Volkner replied. "In fact, I think your Gliscor has what it takes to master Giga Impact _completely_. Not many individuals have that potential, Ash."

"Hold on," Brock was slightly confused by Volkner's remarks. "What do you mean 'master Giga Impact completely', Volkner?"

"Practically every Pokémon is capable of learning Giga Impact. However, most Pokémon only know how to use it once and then they become extremely tired and can't use it over and over. Mastery is when a Pokémon can use it multiple times. My Ambipom and Cynthia's Garchomp are Pokémon who can."

"Wow…" Ash said to himself. He looked at Volkner who was obviously genuinely interested in helping Ash out and then back to Gliscor who seemed eager to learn how to use her new move so effectively. Ash looked back to Volkner.

"Why are you offering all this training?"

"It's because you've shown me such a great battle today, and I want to correct my mistake of thinking your Gliscor was your weakest link!" Volkner smiled. "Also, I can't miss out the chance to bring a powerful and energetic _non-Electric_ Pokémon to this gym. I mean, I would've gladly helped you train Gliscor yourself, but you're traveling around and I can't leave my gym, so I can only offer you to let me train Gliscor here at my gym instead. I know it's a lot to ask for."

"So I'd…" Ash hesitated, trying to find the right words. "You mean I'd have to leave Gliscor with you?"

"Yeah," Volkner replied, knowing how hard it is to let a prized friend go, just like that. "It'll only be temporary until the Sinnoh League, and I promise you that I will do my absolute best with your Gliscor! She will be training under my guidance and will be part of my regular Sunyshore Gym team against challengers. What do you say Ash? Will you accept my offer?"

Ash didn't know what to say.

"I…"

"Wait, Ash!" Dawn interrupted before Ash could say anything rash. "That's a really tough decision to make. You need to think this through! You know that we can keep training Gliscor if she's still on your own team, right?"

"True, but then again, she'd be getting lessons from one of the most seasoned Pokémon trainers in all of Sinnoh: a Gym leader," Brock interjected. "Plus, it's going to be hard to train Gliscor on just one move especially since Ash doesn't have any experience with moves like that. I think Gliscor may not get the best training while only traveling with us."

"I don't know…" Ash said after a few moments. "I think the choice is really Gliscor's to make. What do you think, Gliscor?"

Gliscor also took a few moments to make a choice but after a bit longer, she jumped right in the middle between Volkner and Ash.

"Gli! Gli!"

"Are you saying that you're alright with whatever I choose?" Ash looked at his Pokémon. "And you'd be alright training with Volkner?"

Gliscor enthusiastically nodded her head. "Gli! Gli gli!"

"Ash," Volkner began. "I think Gliscor is really giving you full reign here. She really trusts you, no matter what decision you make."

"Okay…" Ash took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and exhaled. He opened his eyes once more, kneeled on the ground, and asked Gliscor at eye level, "You know how much I care about you right? And you know I would never mean to hurt you?"

Gliscor nodded. "Gli!"

"In that case…" Ash sighed but smiled all the while. "Volkner, I accept your offer! I'd like for you to train my Gliscor please!"

"Absolutely," Volkner nodded and extended his hand. "Consider it done, Ash."

At that, Ash stood up and shook Volkner's happy, confident that he made the right decision.

"Ash, wait! Are you sure?" May couldn't believe that Ash made such a decision so quickly. "Shouldn't you take more time to decide?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," Ash said to May. "It's not that I don't believe in Gliscor and it's not that I think she's not strong. Still, even during the battle I realized that Volkner is way above my level."

"But Ash, you won, didn't you?" May raised her eyebrow. "Doesn't that make you stronger?"

"Naw," Ash replied. "If Torterra and Infernape hadn't evolved back there, and especially if Infernape didn't control Blaze, I think I would've lost. Volkner is way strong, and I think giving Gliscor new training under someone stronger than me will definitely help her out. Besides…"

"I think she's ready to get stronger on her own without me there all the time," Ash crouched down and patted Gliscor on the head. "You've grown up so—AAH!"

"Gli! Gliscor!" She yelled as she jumped on top of Ash. Completely flattening her trainer, Gliscor wanted to give one last lunge to Ash for him to remember her by.

"ACK—Gliscor!" Ash was a little pressed at the moment. "Hey, Gliscor! I can't—ack, breathe here! Alright already!"

Everyone in the room heartily laughed at both displays of affection. Admittedly, it was a little sad to see one of Ash's cherished Pokémon leave his tutelage. The laughter died down into smiles watching Ash let his Pokémon leave his nest for a new world.

"I…" Ash said slowly. "I guess this is goodbye then…"

"No, Ash," Cynthia walked up to Ash and put her hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "Just goodbye until we see each other again."

"Yeah…" Ash agreed, feeling the water build up in his eyes. "I guess you're right. Take care of yourself, okay Gliscor?"

"Gli, gli gli!" Gliscor said with a teary eye. She waved the rest of her teammates goodbye as everyone did the same back to her. Memories of meeting Gliscor on their way to Veilstone as a Gligar, trying to help her get some confidence, and then finally her evolution into a Gliscor after escaping Team Rocket filled the master and apprentice's minds.

"I'll miss you, buddy…" Ash reached back into his belt and took out Gliscor's ball. He enlarged it and said, "I'll come back for you!"

Gliscor nodded enthusiastically.

"Here we go, Gliscor, return!" Ash said resolutely.

A flash of red light later, Gliscor's form disappeared into the Poké Ball and Ash handed the minimized sphere to Volkner.

"I promise I'll take good care of her!" Volkner looked at the ball in his hand and said to Ash. "She's definitely going to be ready when you come back for the Sinnoh League."

"Thanks Volkner. Take care of Gliscor for me and I'll definitely do my best with your TM, I promise!"

Suddenly a huge stomach growl resounded throughout the room. All eyes fell onto Ash who looked sheepishly around, trying to avoid the obvious.

"Ahe, ahe…"

"Let's go eat!" Brock took up the initiative and said, "I think Ash's stomach has the right idea!"

"Agreed, let's get dinner underway!" Cynthia smiled and pumped her hand into the air, excited for some food.

"Hey wait guys! Ash, before you go, I just have one last thing to say," Volkner stopped them abruptly as everyone headed toward the door.

"What?" Ash stopped his run out the door. "Hurry up though, I'm hungry!"

"I swear it'll be quick!" Volkner laughed. "Do you know why I used to give badges out freely?"

"No, I never really thought about it?" Ash replied. "Why?"

"The thing is, I used to give the Beacon Badge to inspire people to become 'beacons' for those around them. In fact, I used to give badges to trainers even though they all lost, because I thought that they'd all become beacons to other trainers one day. Eventually I realized that those trainers never really became what I wanted them to become and wasted their battle with me. It was around then I just stopped accepting challenges."

"Hold on," Ash said, pondering the implications. "Are you telling me you would've given me a badge anyway? But then that means that you probably thought I would just waste our battle!"

"You're absolutely right."

"Then why did you battle me?"

"I think that's because I could tell that you're the real deal. A beacon."

"Huh?" Ash asked, completely perplexed.

"After watching you chase after those Pokémon thieves in their balloon without any consideration for your own safety, I could see that you were everything a trainer should be, that you would shine no matter what challenges ahead of you, and you would've continued to shine whether or not you won tonight's gym battle. I wanted to battle someone like that, and you really pulled through."

Ash blinked twice, not knowing quite how to respond to the praise. Noticing Ash having a hard time with his words he decided to duck out of the room and head back to the press.

"Just food for thought! Now I'm going to finish up my interviews!"

"Man," Brock mused a few seconds later. "Wow. He really is a true gym leader!"

"Of course!" Flint punched the air in approval saying. "After all, he's my best friend! Obviously he's a genuine guy!"

"Oh please," Cynthia snorted a laugh. "When it comes to you, being a friend isn't really a credential boost."

Flint settled a glare at Cynthia for that.

"Wow…" Dawn said. "He's such a nice guy! And now he's coming back as gym leader even after such a long hiatus!"

"And he's so well spoken!" May nodded in agreement. "You ready to go Ash?"

"Uh, sure…" Ash blinked twice, still unsure how to sort out Volkner's praise. "I just have no idea why he kept calling me a _bacon_."

A cacophony of face faults sounded around the room.

"Ah well! I'm hungry! Let's get some dinner!"

* * *

_Author's Responses to the Reviews:_

**iulia17:** Thanks for your praise! I agree. I'm pretty satisfied how I had both Monferno and Grotle evolve. I also had to conform somehow to the canon in the anime. What better than to have a supercharged evolution? lolz

**HikariNoTenshi-San:** Haha, thanks for your enthusiasm! Maybe I'll recommend people to go to some kind of music on Youtube so that they can get pumped up! I had a listen to the song you suggested. That sure is boss. :)

**mercenaryflyer:** Dude, thanks for putting in a review! I know I do that all the time where I don't actually review a great story even if I should. Sometimes it's just really hard to put a review in. And totally. Sometimes us fans come up with better battles than the actual writers of the anime do. :P

**Swagnilla-Ice-1985:** Thanks for the praise! It's nice to know that I put out quality work. It boosts my confidence as a writer to hear that!

**Ahkalia:** I TOTALLY DO THAT TOO! Sometimes I find myself just blizting through people's text because I know what to expect. It's rare though to find a reader who cares more for story than for battles. I can definitely understand where you're coming from.

**Max Tiger:** Yeah. I find that people actually care if I put updates in there. I'm definitely doing it now! :P

**Black Blood Alliance:** Thanks for saying you like the science part! To be honest, sometimes it's all BS but the other times it's completely possible. This time the levitation could happen, it would just take literally millions of volts. And dude, thanks for thinking of this as an original story! There's so much more coming up it'll blow your mind. I just need to get to it quicker. :P

**Arkarian23:** Yeah, sorry about the whole uploading new chapters just to say I have a new poll up. That was sort of interesting. haha

**Kitsune95:** (Otherwise known as wolf95) I'm happy yet another MDII fan comes to read my stuff! Excellent.

**Kurtispj5:** You are SO right. Most advanceshipping stories are so simple that it gets old. Those stories are (as you said) childish dancing around how much they obviously want each other. I really wanted to make this a real story. I wanted everyone to be a part of Ash's story, and I'm glad that you think I'm pulling it off! Dude, there is SO much more to come. Stay tuned.

* * *

_Dear __Readers,_

Thanks again for reading! This chapter was slightly easier to write because it was much less description and much more dialogue, but filling in the details is still a challenge. Any writer will tell you that trying to make different versions of "said" is challenging work.

[At any rate, I am SO FREAKING EXCITED for _Mass Effect 3_ on March 6th! Shit's gonna get real. I swear, I'm more excited about this trilogy end then the Halo series! Then again that might have been caused by the fact that I didn't have an Xbox360 at the time to get it done.] – lol that crashed and burned like a witch.

It's funny because even though I really disliked the ending, I ended up playing the multiplayer NON-STOP since April. There hasn't been a week that I didn't play it, sometimes for 3-36 hours at a time. It's rather frightening really.

* * *

_Story Notes:_

N/A

* * *

_Author__'__s __Notes:_

Uploaded, 03/03/12

| filler text/established new arc/slight ADV moment/new theory of Pokémon development/hopefully will establish a two week work cycle |

original title, "Training"

RE: edit. 03/12/12

RE: edit. 03/16/12

original title, "Bacons"

RE: edit. 09/19/12

RE: edit. 02/11/13


	27. A Link to the Past

**Chapter ****Eighteen:**** A Link to the Past**

After carefully explaining to Ash that he had only mistakenly heard Volkner call him a fried and crispy strip of meat, the whole gang traveled en mass to the shoreline of Sunyshore City. Everybody helped out setting the table, talked about other aspects of Ash's gym battle, and enjoyed each other's company. Everyone had released their Pokémon for the evening celebration. Ash let his Pokémon all walk with him parade-style to the beach so all of them were already outside.

**[17:45****P.M.] ****Sunyshore City (Beach), ****Sinnoh Region**

Brock sent out his Sudowoodo who rattled his arms cheerfully, Happiny who bounced up and down waiting for some food, and Croagunk who indignantly turned his head at the foolishness. Dawn released her Buneary who latched herself onto Pikachu, Pachirisu who also bounced up and down, Mamoswine who promptly settled down for a nap, Cyndaquil who ran around so full of energy, and Togekiss who regally cleaned her wings.

The elites also sent out their Pokémon to join in. Lucian called out his Mr. Mime who seemed a little startled at the amount of new friends he'd have to introduce himself to, Alakazam who remained in a stoic pose, Espeon who stretched himself out, Gallade who swung a few preemptive strikes in case of an attack, and Bronzong who let out a single 'dong' chime and settled on the ground.

Flint sent out his Infernape who recognized Ash's Infernape, Rapidash who curled up for a nap, Magmortar who stretched his tired cannon arms, Houndoom who barked at his comrades, Drifblim who had to catch himself from flying away with the sea breeze, and Flareon who curled up almost immediately for a nap.

Cynthia finally beckoned her Spiritomb who already plotted out some devilishly evil pranks, Roserade who looked to the sun for some nourishment, Milotic who seemed eager to jump in the water, Gastrodon who looked rather to the muddy sand for a good time, Garchomp who stayed close to her trainer, and finally Lucario who simply ignored everyone's glances at her and ventured to sit down and meditate quite a ways away from everyone else.

May nearly forgot to send her Pokémon out until everyone else had finished calling theirs, so she sent Blaziken who took notice of the two other Fire and Fighting Types in her midst, Wartortle who also looked to the water excitedly, Beautifly who also had to be careful about the strong sea breeze, Munchlax who looked around for any sign of food, Venusaur who rustled her leaves and settled down for a nap, and finally Glaceon, who was restlessly trying to search for the Electric mouse she cheered for.

After everyone had released their Pokémon, Cynthia helped Ash teach TM32 to one of his Pokémon. Ash decided to teach it first to Infernape as a reward for winning the team their final gym badge of Sinnoh. With quite a bit of technical assistance, Ash directed both antennae at Infernape, clicked the floppy diskette into place, and asked Infernape to close his eyes. A switch of the button, a whir of vibration, and a snap of Infernape's eyes open after it all, Ash's Fire and Fighting Type had learned Double Team and already started practicing.

Most everyone got along very well. Happiny, Cyndaquil, Buneary, and Pachirisu were being watched over by Sudowoodo and Mr. Mime. Croagunk and Alakazam were having a staring contest while Bronzong moderated. Spiritomb and Houndoom were exchanging prank stories while Drifblim tried not to float away in the breeze still. Staraptor, Togekiss, Beautifly, and Garchomp were gracefully surfing the air waves and flying high above the rest of the group. Milotic, Wartortle, and Gastrodon played in the water, splashing and throwing sand bombs at each other. Flint's Infernape and Ash's Infernape began a light spar, Gallade and Blaziken traded a few blows, and Buizel and Magmortar played a game of cat and mouse with Buizel dodging Magmortar's strikes. On the other hand, Torterra, Venusaur, Espeon, Flareon, Roserade, Rapidash, Munchlax, and Mamoswine curled up in a group and collectively fell asleep.

Lucario was meditating far away from the group, Glaceon was apparently wandering around aimlessly, and Pikachu was nowhere in sight. Meanwhile, dinner was properly served and everyone started helping themselves to Brock's cooking. Sandwiches, salads, and various rice ball combinations were all getting destroyed.

"Oh my goodness, Brock!" Dawn exclaimed. "You outdid yourself! Is this all for Ash's last badge?"

"Yes-sir-ee!" Brock proclaimed at the top of his lungs. He had his fists at his hips and wore his favorite cooking apron to boot. "I even made third and fourth helpings, mostly for Ash and May, but everyone here gets seconds!"

Lucian marveled at all of the goods prepared on the table. "Truly Brock, excellent appetizer and course menu! Surely you would be just as successful working for the Lake Valor resort as head chef as you would a Pokémon breeder!"

"Absolutely superb!" Cynthia added. "If I hadn't found you guys yesterday, this would've been a month long streak of cup noodles and Pokémon Center instant meals!"

"WHAT?" Brock stared at Cynthia with abject horror. "Surely the champion of the Sinnoh League mustn't eat cheap University student grade just-add-water monstrosities!"

"Hey, watch yourself, Brock!" May was particularly offended since she liked the stuff and somewhat depended on it.

"May, I thought I taught you better than that after two years of good traveling!" Brock said with his hands still on his hips.

"Sorry, Brock!" May apologized. "Good food is hard to come by when you travel alone."

"Well Brock a good meal deserves a good toast!" Cynthia smiled as she raised her glass. "Can I have everyone's attention?"

Everyone turned their attention to Cynthia and listened for her speech. Even some of the napping, flying, playing, or sparring Pokémon stopped to have a listen.

"I'd just like to express how grateful I am to have witnessed one of the greatest Pokémon battles I have ever seen! Truly, this has been a battle between two giants in the Pokémon World."

Ash looked around with food stuck in his mouth but couldn't help but blush from Cynthia's compliments. He was still wondering where Pikachu was—he wouldn't have been so flustered if his buddy was there.

"Today was just an example of how a young trainer who sets his heart on a goal can both meet and exceed it" Cynthia continued. "To this and many more battles ahead, best wishes to you, Ash!"

"To Ash!" everyone chimed in chorus.

"Shucks guys," Ash said, not really how to respond. "I really couldn't have done it without the help of my Pokémon!"

"There he goes again, always talking about his Pokémon," Brock nodded. "And speaking of which, you three elites have some very healthy Pokémon of your own! There's plenty for everyone!"

At that, most all of the Pokémon stopped what they were doing and approached their respective meals with great enthusiasm. Many of the three elite trainer's Pokémon had never had such well prepared food so they talked avidly with the rest and everyone seemed well adjusted.

That is, except Lucario. She simply raised her left paw and used Psychic to levitate her bowl to where she sat. It seemed that Pikachu wouldn't even show his face for this.

"Did I do something wrong?" Brock asked, noticing the secluding actions of Cynthia's Lucario.

"It's not you Brock, trust me," Cynthia put down her food and sighed. "Lucario just really doesn't like socializing with anyone. Even me."

"And doesn't like _listening_ to anyone either," Flint retorted, biting off an egregious amount for a mouthful.

Cynthia noticed Flint's comment and sat in her spot, just staring at her food, completely defeated by Flint's words. She had to admit, they weren't untrue, and that was horrible for her to bear.

"Flint, that was uncalled for!" Lucian reprimanded his colleague. "It's clear that Cynthia is trying to do the best for her Pokémon. You should apologize."

Flint just looked at Lucian oddly and continued eating. He opened his mouth about to say something back but Cynthia spoke first.

"It's alright… Lucian," Cynthia said in a low voice. "Flint is right, Lucario doesn't listen to me at all. It's all my fault, I just know it…"

"Woah," Suddenly Flint seemed to realize that Cynthia was taking this very hard. He tried to correct for his mistake and said, "Look, Cynth, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't realize it's such a touchy subject!"

"Hmph," Cynthia scoffed. "Don't 'Cynth' me. You were never careful with your words, Flint. I guess I can't expect things like that to change."

The entire festive atmosphere seemed completely deflated, save for Ash who was constantly digging into his food.

"Umm, at any rate Cynthia, do you have any idea what's the matter?" Dawn asked timidly. "I mean it seems like you've got some control, right?"

"I appreciate the thought, Dawn, but truthfully, I don't know," Cynthia said, trying to smile. "I try really hard to be nice to Lucario by letting her battle, but she acts really stubborn and she doesn't budge an inch! I mean, it's been a lot better than when I first met her, but it's a daily struggle."

Brock finally managed to sit down at the table after distributing foodstuffs to the Pokémon.

"Cynthia?"

"Yes, Brock?"

"If you don't mind me asking, how _did_ you meet that Lucario anyway?" Brock asked before spreading a napkin over his lap.

"Do you think there's a reason why Lucario keeps disobeying Cynthia?" May asked, finishing her bite of dinner.

"It's just a guess, but maybe there's history or context we're missing," Brock nodded. "Is that alright if I ask, Cynthia?"

"Sure, why not?" Cynthia took a bite of her sandwich and finished, already feeling a bit better about her situation. "About three years ago, I visited the Johto region to get an up close and personal view of the different ruins in the region. My last stop was the Relic Shrine to the Voice of the Forrest in Arborville."

Suddenly Ash's and Brock's attention was perked like a static shock and the two exchanged knowing glances.

"Wait, have you two been there?" Cynthia asked, picking up at the two boys' recognition.

Brock nodded curiously wondering why Cytnhia would be investigating those ruins. Ash on the other hand made a crude smile obscured by all the food in his mouth and simply gave a thumbs-up.

"No way…" Cynthia marveled. "Did you really? Then you've also heard of the legend about the Voice of the Forrest!"

Another round of nods from those two.

"Then you know about the entrance into the forest, right? The huge fallen tree?"

The nods came again.

"I got the warning not to move if I heard the 'Voice of the Forest', but I walked through the gate not expecting to see anything out of the ordinary."

"Then I heard a sound… like a huge bell!" Cynthia closed her eyes trying to remember the event. "There was this wave of light and it lit up the trees in alternating colors of blue and bright green! I completely forgot about the warning, so I went deeper and deeper into the forest to look for the source. Just as I was about to reach the source, I heard another bell chime and then suddenly all the light was gone!"

Ash and Brock both looked at each other remembering their own adventure in the Arborville Forest. Cynthia continued, I kept running to the source, following the path of the rays as I remembered, and I ended up stopping right at the shrine I was supposed to visit. But the strange thing was that I saw a Pokémon passed out on the ground. I didn't realize that I'd made it to the shrine though, I was so fixated on inspecting that Pokémon. Turns out that it was Lucario."

"That Lucario?" May asked, pointing out into the distance.

"Yeah," Cynthia nodded solemnly she stopped casually eating and began gesturing with her hands. "I checked her pulse, no response. I checked some basic muscle reflexes and still nothing. I had to do something, so I tried a capture and it worked! I don't know how fast I ran, I just tried so hard to get it back to the Arborville Treatment Center."

"Just before I got there, Lucario…" Cynthia paused, remembering the hardest part of the story. "She escaped out of the ball on her own. The next thing I know she was attacking me, so I called out Spiritomb to help me out. Eventually we managed to put her to sleep with Telekinesis, but ever since then it's just been a constant struggle. Its' really starting to get to me. I just don't know what to do…"

"Wow…" Dawn spoke. "I never thought that the Sinnoh Champion would have problems with her Pokémon like this."

"Yeah," Brock said. "Now all we have to do is help Cynthia solve it, just like a trainer does for a fellow trainer.

Cynthia gave Brock a small smile as thanks. While he did a minor swoon over her acknowledgement, Brock also pondered something.

_I wonder… if those green lights were involved,_ he thought. _Could Celebii be involved?_

"Maybe I can help!" May offered. "Does Lucario keep coming out of her ball like she did the first time?"

"No, she doesn't," Cynthia replied. "She only comes out when I need her, and when I do, she usually has her back turned to me."

In that case it could be the opposite of the problem I had," May's enthusiasm settled away. "My Skitty liked to come out of her ball just because she was hungry or wanted to play. Maybe your Lucario just feels more comfortable when she's alone?"

Cynthia looked over to Lucario off in the distance, and rubbed her hand over her forehead in defeat.

"Maybe I should have never caught her…"

Nobody knew what to do. Flint had already thoroughly deflated her, Brock tried to get some background from her story, and May even offered a solution. An awkward silence fell upon the table of Pokémon trainers. Even Ash the hungry beast was silenced. Slowly but surely, he finished his chew and then spoke up.

"Cynthia, I have to say something," Ash said slowly.

"Yeah?" Cynthia looked to Ash waiting patiently. "What is it?"

"You know that Lucario is going through a lot of pain, right?"

"_Pain_…?" Cynthia asked. "What do you mean, pain? I mean, I know the battle really took its toll on her but—"

"—That's not what I meant. I had another vision, Cynthia. This time it was about your Lucario."

Silence fell once again. Cynthia furrowed her eyebrows wondering what Ash meant. May and Dawn looked at Ash wondering if this is why Ash was acting a little strangely during Cynthia's battle against Delaine.

"No way Ash, are you serious?" Cynthia asked.

"He did slump down onto the wall during your battle, but he came to after just a little while!" May said excitedly. "That's when he had that vision!"

"Perhaps the amount of time Ash spends passed out is dependent on the vision length?" Lucian postulated, his intrigue getting the better of him. "It did sound like his episode yesterday afternoon was an extremely long one, so since these were simple memories instead of epics, Ash was only passed out for a short whi—"

"—Never mind that, Lucian!" Cynthia exclaimed. "Ash, if your vision was a memory or anything from Lucario, I have to know!"

"Umm, well you know when Lucas' Magmortar had your Lucario in a full body lock?" Ash recalled. "For some reason, when your Lucario yelled out in pain I felt a huge wave of energy. The next thing I know I'm stuck inside some kind of memory, watching it like a movie. I guess it happened because of the stress Lucario was put under. She showed me a battle of her fighting another Riolu. She just a kid and hadn't evolved yet and was hurt really, _really_ badly. She lost by the same move that Magmortar used today."

"That would explain why Lucario had that memory come back to her like that…" Brock nodded in understanding. "But why was it so powerful?"

"I don't know exactly, but I have an idea," Ash said apprehensively. Sensing Aura and everything that came along with it was still pretty new to him. "The thing is, just after Cynthia's Riolu was beaten down, she and the other Riolu talked to each other. The other Riolu was a guy but he was wearing some kind of pink sash. The two talked some more, but when the male Riolu started walking away, he tossed the pink scarf he was wearing to Cynthia's Riolu. He said that she had become a rival to him. The vision ended when she passed out from that battle."

Even more silence fell over the group after Ash's quick synopsis.

"I guess this is what you meant when you said that you'd 'explain later', right Ash?" Dawn asked playfully.

"Um, Ash?" May noticed something particularly odd. "You realize that you've stopped eating right?"

"Oh yeah!" Ash looked back to his plate and flipped. "Haha, I guess I got all wound up when we were talking about Cynthia's Lucario. I just feel really sorry for her."

"Ash?" Cynthia couldn't waste another minute. "Can I ask you for a huge favor?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"Originally I wanted just to talk about plans for tomorrow with everyone at dinner, but now I'm gonna have to put it on hold, at least for a little while. In the meantime, I think I might be able to get through to my Lucario with your help, Ash!"

"Huh?" Ash asked, completely surprised. "Why me?"

"Listen," Cynthia said delicately. "I've been thinking for years now that I'm an experienced trainer and because of that I thought I could build relationships with any Pokémon no matter how hard it seemed… but after all this time I realize that I'm not an experienced trainer. Just look at my Lucario! I don't even know what to do! I feel like a total failure!"

"Cynthia, you really shouldn't be so hard on yourself," Lucian said comfortingly. "Nobody is perfect."

"He's totally right!" Flint piped up and tried cheering his friend up. "Cynth?"

"Hm?" Cynthia asked, wondering if she ever wanted to hear what Flint had to say.

"Look at me," Flint said strongly. "There's no way that the Champion of the Sinnoh region will call herself a failure and get away with it, not on my watch!"

Cynthia was completely taken back. She blinked twice wondering if Flint was trying to be a wise guy or if he was genuinely trying to help her.

"But…"

"But nothing, Cynthia!" Flint said solidly. "I know you don't always believe in what I say… hell, you probably don't even hear what I have to say half the time, but this time I'm speaking the whole truth so you'd better listen! You've raised and battled with so many Pokémon, nursed hundreds more to perfect health, taken it upon yourself to solve the ancient legends of Sinnoh, and resolved to stop a crime syndicate—all to protect the Pokémon world as we know it! You _are_ a good trainer! I know it! We all know it! And you should know it too!"

"Flint, I…"

Flint raised his hand to try to respectfully cut Cynthia off from her thoughts.

"Look, even if you can't seem to break through to one Pokémon, you're still an amazing trainer and an even more amazing person. This will take time, and we will do everything we can to help you. Right, Ash?"

"Right," Ash nodded resolutely.

"Right everyone?" Flint rallied the group.

"Yeah!" they all said in unison.

"Thank you everyone…" Cynthia shakily said, almost not even believing the universal support she was getting. "Really, truly. Thank you. Um… Ash, could you come with me? I'd like to introduce you to my Lucario."

"Yeah, I'd be happy to do that," Ash agreed.

"As for the rest of you, you don't have to get up, just finish dinner while we're away," Cynthia said politely. Turning to face her red-haired subordinate, she said, "And Flint… really, thank you for those kind words. I didn't think you had it in you."

"Oh, ah…" Flint's eyes widened a bit as he processed the praise he was getting. "You're welcome Cynth. And I'm sorry about my word earlier. That wasn't right."

"Apology accepted," Cynthia said with a smile before getting up with Ash in tow.

While Cynthia left with Ash, and Flint smiled to himself and picked up a potato with his fork. He noticed everyone staring at him and asked, "What?"

"Suck up," Brock replied and smiled devilishly.

"Hey, I'm really excited to meet your Lucario, Cynthia, but what do you want me to do exactly?" Ash asked a few paces away from the dinner table.

Cynthia walked a few more paces before stopping in her tracks and confronting Ash straight up.

"You can control Aura!" Cynthia exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me that before!"

"I—what? How'd you—I mean," Ash tried to justify himself for not talking about his greatest secret, but Cynthia wouldn't back down. "Cynthia, you never asked! Besides, I don't even know anything about it!"

"But you were able to sense that I had a Lucario before it even appeared and you could even understand my Lucario's memory when she thought about it! At first I noticed your shout at the start of the battle and I thought it could've been a coincidence, but now I know for sure that you can sense Aura. You can help me!"

"Look, I'll do whatever it takes to help a Pokémon, but I still don't even know what I'm supposed to do!"

"Well… you said that in my Lucario's memory she was given a pink sash, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Ash this is big," Cynthia took a breath before continuing. "It turns out that I found Lucario wearing a pink sash around her neck in the forest! She's had that sash since I'd found her!"

"Really?" Ash asked. "You didn't mention that when you were telling us how you caught Lucario."

"Slipped my mind I guess," Cynthia replied, quite ashamedly. "When Brock said that there could be a small detail that could help explain Lucario's behavior, and you explained my Lucario's vision, I figured that the pink sash was thing I needed to investigate! At first I thought it wasn't that important, but now you've made it clear that she's had that sash for a long time, even in her pre-evolved form. That sash means everything to my Lucario!"

"I guess, but what does that have to do with me?"

"Well if you were any regular human, it wouldn't have anything to do with you, but because it _is_ you, you've become essential!

"How?" Ash asked.

"_You can sense Aura_!" Cynthia exclaimed. "Do you know how incredible that is? In the old days, people with your ability were hailed as heroes. Because of their abilities, they could do supernatural things to help people! They would defend the helpless in time of war, heal the sick of terrible diseases, and unlock other things just because of their abilities! They are thought to have vanished forever!"

"Just like the Sir Aaron," Ash said softly to himself. "Okay, I admit I can sense Aura… but I can't control it! I didn't even know I had it until two years ago! I've never properly used it!"

"Look, Ash I'm sorry for putting you on the spot, and I know it's not fair of me to ask so much of you, but I really need this as a favor," Cynthia practically pleaded. "I'm not expecting a miracle, but I bet that if you talk to Lucario or even touch that scarf of hers you'll discover even more about her! I think you're the only one who could possibly understand my Lucario, and I need your help to understand her as well. Will you help me?"

"I guess it's worth a shot, then. No harm in trying right?"

"Thank you, Ash. Really, truly."

Ash and Cynthia cautiously walked towards Lucario's meditating form. Ash figured that Cynthia was merely being diplomatic, trying not to upset Lucario, but even so, trainers and Pokémon shouldn't have to put such great distances between them. The closer Ash got to Lucario, the more he resolved to help the two of them out the best he could. Cynthia stopped Ash several feet away from Lucario who was gazing at the horizon, her mind clearly occupied with something.

"Lucario… um, do you have a moment?"

Lucario looked turned her head towards Cynthia, looked past her, and noticed Ash behind her. She looked back to the sea but gave a curt nod. It looked like Lucario had been crying earlier.

"Lucario, I'd… I'd like you to meet Ash," Cynthia gathered up her strength. "He's a Pokémon trainer like me. He's really impressed with your battling skills and would like to talk to you. Is that alright?"

Lucario kept her gaze directly towards the sea. She really didn't seem to care much for talking at the moment, but it wasn't as if she had anything better to do. Cynthia decided to pull one last card.

"He's also an Aura Guardian."

At that Lucario suddenly whipped around and her bloodshot eyes widened in surprise. Her jaw even parted a bit as if she could barely contain her shock.

"It… it's true…" Cynthia bit her lip, hoping that things would go well. "Ash? Could you hold your hand out, palm outward for Lucario?"

"Huh?" Ash was puzzled. "Why?"

"It's the way that the ancient Aura Guardians used to greet each other," Cynthia explained. "She needs to know that you can command Aura. It'll be fine, go ahead."

"Uh… alright," Ash said apprehensively. He wondered if he should ask why or how Cynthia knew how ancient Aura Guardians greeted each other, but then again, this wasn't the time for twenty questions.

Ash held out his hand with his palm facing towards Lucario. Then Lucario, thrust her arm with her paw faced forward to match Ash and closed her eyes. The appendages on Lucario's head suddenly rose and vibrated along the horizon line, and in the small space between both palms a small orb of light blue light formed. Ash recognized that sphere of energy instantly: _Aura Sphere_.

Suddenly Ash felt like he knew what he had to do. He closed his eyes as well and felt his heart pump steadily. Without checking to make sure he was doing it correctly, a smaller, not properly formed sphere appeared in the space between palm and paw. At its core was a glowing light blue eminence, but it wasn't a sphere exactly. Like how a star is born, it was a vague orb surrounded by gaseous energy. It didn't quite feel the same way as it did the last time Ash attempted the technique, however. This time it felt much warmer, like the feelings people get when they see old friends.

And just as fast as it appeared, it sizzled out. Lucario withdrew her Aura Sphere and Ash simply let the energy stop flowing. When it was all over, Ash panted a little bit from the exertion while Lucario looked at Ash with nothing short of awe and wonder. Truly, an Aura Guardian, long thought to be an extinct lineage of heroes, was standing before her.

Cynthia marveled at the sight of Ash's efforts. Albeit, his technique was far from anything solid, of anything it looked like a small light orb surrounded by a light mist, but she was dumbstruck all the same. She took a few steps back trying to excuse herself. She suddenly felt completely out of her league.

"Right, I uh…" Cynthia said, trying not to attract too much attention. "I'll let you two talk, I guess."

As Cynthia turned around and hurried away, Lucario and Ash let their arms fall to their sides. Lucario couldn't help but continue staring in disbelief while Ash panted slightly more.

"It's been…" Ash said in a tired voice trying to break the silence. "It's been a really long time since I did that…"

Lucario nodded and then watched her trainer leave. Ash noticed Lucario's newfound gaze and followed it to Cynthia. She had her head down and seemed to try to get as far away from Lucario as fast as possible.

"I… I really don't know what to say," Ash looked up, feeling horrible that Cynthia was practically afraid of her Pokémon. "Cynthia just figured I might be able to help you, you know, because I can control Aura a bit."

Lucario diverted her attention back to Ash.

"You know she cares about you, right?" Ash asked, gathering his breath again. "Cynthia is your trainer after all, a really great trainer, too. Probably the best."

Lucario looked away from Ash down to the sand.

"Look, I don't even know if you understand me or not," he began. "But I guess I understand you… in a way?"

Lucario looked up.

"I saw a memory—your memory. The one where you got your pink sash from a Riolu."

Lucario's eyes suddenly widened again and met Ash's gaze, even more so than when Cynthia revealed Ash's unique position. Her jaw dropped open slightly as well.

"Who was that Riolu anyway?"

Lucario closed her jaw then, but her wide eyes showed sadness instead of shock. Ash waited to ask again.

"Why was he battling so mercilessly?"

Lucario's eyes softened and then shone in the dusk sunlight. Ash could see the water building up in her eyes. Ash nearly stopped asking these questions, but he had to know.

"Why did he give you that sash?"

At that, the memories running through Lucario's mind became too much to bear and a single tear fell down her cheek. She bowed her head in shame, closed her eyes, and slowly began removing the pink sash. Slowly, she pulled it away from her body and handed it to Ash.

"You want me to…?" Ash almost asked. "Alright. I'll do it."

As Ash brought his hand to reach for Lucario's sash, he felt strange thoughts crawl through his head. He wondered things like what he would find, why it was him who could sense Aura and not someone else, and what it meant to be a Guardian of Aura. Ash decided it was best to leave those questions for later.

"Here goes nothing," Ash said as he grasped the sash with his hand.

As he took the sash from Lucario's paw and moved it around in his fingers, the world became less and less clear, and more and more dark. He was falling into Lucario's memories.

Coincidentally he was also falling onto the sandy beach.

* * *

_Author's Responses to the Reviews:_

**ThatOneDwarf:** Hey, thanks! I always wanted to tap into Ash's stooge side, so I'm glad that line made it happen!

**Kurtispj5:** YEEEAAAHHHH, Mass Effect 3 literally shut my life down for a continuous 35 hours. It was glorious. Thankfully I've been on spring break. I can't believe I can't stop thinking about how the whole series (and how shitty the endings are). Thanks for the encouragement! I like it when people feel that my conversations are not forced. That's something that bugs me a bit when I read stuff especially in the Naruto section.

**Swagnilla-Ice-1985:** I'll be sure to check it out when I have some time! I'll definitely be sure to leave a review when I do. :)

**mercenaryflyer:** Technical Machines and items in general have always been the crutch of the anime. Even the Manga doesn't really touch on that. I think I saw TM's only once in The Electric Tale of Pikachu. I really don't want Buizel to evolve. I think he feels perfectly cool in his light and speedy form. Yeah, I chose a female Gliscor simply because a lot of people have already done it. It felt very natural for me to write that way. I know I keep teasing what Cynthia's true purpose is being here, but don't worry. I will actually fully answer those questions, no doubt.

**Max Tiger:** Dude, about the bacons, I had the hardest time trying to figure out whether I should name the title Beacons or Bacons. Haha, I guess I was hungry when I thought about it. lawlz

**Sazan:** Hey thanks for writing a review then! I do that all the time. I used to read Final Challenge over and over again in between long periods of him not updating and it was so frustrating sometimes. Thanks for all the compliments! I really hope this turns out to be a masterpiece. It is in my head so far, now I just need to get the words down. And FUCK YEAH MASS EFFECT.

* * *

_Dear__Readers,_

So apparently this chapter took me two days to write. It's unfortunate because the chapters which are easiest to write are usually fillers. The chapters that are hard to write are usually the meaty ones. The difference is that fillers usually have a lot of dialogue. In anime, this can be seen in the form of flashbacks or reused sequences. The meaty stuff contains a lot of descriptions, like battles, new concepts, so forth and so on.

[Mini rant: Mass Effect 3 ending sucked, but I don't mind. I just which BioWare would make a good DLC to make up for it. Although, about everything else, it was incredible. Never in my life have I been thinking about the game and its characters for a week every time I go to bed. It's been grand.] – I still stand by what I said then, but I would like to add that I still think about that story a lot.

Also a small note, I haven't actually played a single title in the Legend of Zelda series, but I feel like if I do, I'm never gonna put em down.

* * *

_Story Notes:_

N/A

* * *

_Author__'__s __Notes:_

Uploaded, 03/16/12

| quickest writing period/dialogue heavy/first true use of aura/next chapter will be huge |

RE: edit. 03/16/12

RE: edit. 02/11/13


	28. Chain of Memories

**Chapter ****Nineteen:**** Chain of Memories**

**A/N**: This chapter has sections that talk about _very_ mature subjects. Heading 3 and 4 deal with the subject of cursing, rape, and murder. If such topics offend you, please skip headings "**[~~:~~****P.M.] ****Iron Island ****(East Ravine), ****Sinnoh Region**"and"**[~~:~~****A.M.] ****Iron Island (West Shore), ****Sinnoh ****Region**". Thank you.

* * *

Much like the last time he fell into vision relapse, Ash opened his eyes to find not a Lucario looking at him in awe on the sandy shores of Sunyshore City beach, but rather two Riolu battling on a rocky overpass of Iron Island in very harsh sunlight. Unlike the last time, Ash noticed that instead of the young male clearly overpowering the young girl, the tables had turned and the fairer Riolu stood victorious. Similarly, the sash was wrapped around the girl's neck, not the boy's.

**[~~:~~ A.M.] Iron Island (Oasis Ridge), Sinnoh Region**

The young girl Riolu panted heavily, feeling the heat of the sun bear down on her and the fatigue of battle slowly wash over her muscles. Nonetheless she stood tall, still wearing the sash she acquired the last time she had fought her opponent. On the ground lay the other, clearly defeated and smarting his wounds. He struggled to get on his knees but even before he could, the young girl spoke plainly and clearly.

"You lost. Consider this payback for being such a damn _jerk_."

Ash rushed over behind a boulder to get a better glimpse of the scene. He knew that he neither could affect the vision nor would the characters notice his presence, but still he felt the tension of the moment and couldn't help but duck away from the two of them. Ash could practically feel the pride simmer in the air.

"I don't know what's more infuriating… the fact that you beat me, the fact that Blaze Kick, Psychic, _and_ Sky Uppercut run in your family," began the boy. "Or the fact that you assume you understand me…!"

With one paw on the ground and the other bent over his leg to help him stand, the boy slowly managed one knee on the ground to support himself. His eyes seemed unwilling—perhaps even incapable of meeting the other's gaze.

"Of course I understand you!" the girl yelled indignantly. "We're eternal rivals after all! I've had to go through so much training to reach this level. I know what pain is!"

"Artemis… You don't know what pain is," the boy spat on the ground with as much disdain as possible. "You don't know a _godamn_ thing."

"_Artemis_?" Ash whispered to himself as he watched the boy slowly rise to his feet, turn, and stagger towards the other direction. He could barely put one foot in front of the other and clutched his right side in obvious agony. Ash couldn't get over the shock that this girl Riolu had a normal name. "_Artemis_? Then what about the other—"

"Wait!" Artemis yelled at the retreating Riolu. "Wait a minute! You need to take your sash back!"

The Riolu kept walking away. Artemis angrily swung the tattered pink sash off her neck and shouted out again.

"_Apollo_!"

"Apollo, huh?" Ash wondered.

A thick silence fell between the two Pokémon and the young boy stopped in his tracks. So palpable was the lack of action between the two that Ash even felt his chest tighten in anxiety. He wondered for how long was this going to last until finally Artemis spoke.

"Keep it."

"Huh?"

"Keep it as a reminder of our rivalry."

More silence fell. Artemis looked down to the sash in her hand and then back up to the Riolu whose back was turned to her.

"No," she said flatly. "I'll keep it as a token of our _friendship_."

Apollo, as he was called, raised his head up slightly, and turned it around to look at the girl. His side ached, his pride was shattered, but his heart seemed to lift at the mention of the word. Ash could feel something almost glowing coming from him. If he had to guess, he would've called it happiness. But just as quickly as it came, it vanished, replaced by the same monotone he used before.

"Fine. If that's what you want to call it, so be it."

Apollo continued to move in his own direction and eventually let go of his side. Artemis called after him as she tightened the sash around her neck once more.

"Maybe you're not as bad as you think!"

A ghost of a smile flashed across his lips. He picked up his pace into a jog and ran through the forest.

"Maybe not," Apollo mused.

Without warning, the visuals of the sun, shrubs, rocks, even the two Pokémon dissolved into an oily fluid, flowing rapidly into different shapes and forms. The harsh sun washed away into the dull glow of dusk, the rocky overpass crumbled away into a fine grey sand, and the shrubs flowed into the rolling waves of an ocean.

**[~~:~~ P.M.] Iron Island (East Shore), Sinnoh Region**

Ash jumped back in surprise as he felt his shoes get wet from a fast wave. He looked around to find all the forest had moved behind him, himself standing atop a large boulder, and saw the two Riolu from earlier sitting a ways away from him, looking into the sunset.

The waves crashed all around the large rocks as Ash climbed from one to the next. He felt the slippery moss with his hands and made very sure not to fall off of the boulders into the turbulent blue green waves below. Eventually he made his way to the two Pokémon, sitting peacefully together, talking animatedly about something obviously important. He sat down on a rock behind theirs, listening raptly to every word they said. The red sash swung gracefully around Artemis' neck and swayed in concert with the breeze.

"Really, Apollo. Thank you for telling me," the young girl spoke tenderly. "I get it now why you're so removed from everyone else—why you never really had many friends… you're schizophrenic."

"Thinking that we live in a forest, feeling paranoid that everyone doesn't like you, visions of talking to an imaginary friend named Pikachu… That's all fine with me," Artemis continued, but this time she reached out and latched onto Apollo's right arm with both of hers, showing just how sincere she was trying to be.

The wind oddly made the words come alive, as if the meanings floated and roared with the great sea breeze. Every spoken word seemed to carry greater weight, more meaning, as if by merely being near the great expanse of the ocean it simply had to be.

"I just don't understand why you're so intent on talking to me like this," Apollo said. He felt the warmth flow through him but couldn't bear to look at the girl next to him for some reason. "We're all alone by the water, I never thought things could be so peaceful."

The wind flowed with great strength between the two Pokémon. The red sash fluttered in their midst.

"I guess…" Artemis whispered.

"You guess what?" Apollo asked.

It blew stronger still, enveloping their fur and their future.

"I guess I just really care about you." She spoke in a frightful, tentative voice.

"Then it's probably time that I tell you something." He breathed as he closed his eyes.

Warmth and comfort flowed like the breath of life all around them.

"What is it?"

"I…"

She dared not look at the Pokémon she held onto. He whispered softly into the horizon. Her sash still flowed into the evening.

"I really care about you too."

Neither knew how it happened, what exactly to feel, or who to smile at, so they both agreed without even a sound to let the wind carry them to the clouds. Apollo finally looked into the eyes of his newly found mate, and Apollo softly found embrace in the arms of her dreams. Apollo reached around her shoulder and held onto Artemis gently, who greatly appreciated the gesture and moved closer to his side. They found each other's paws and touched, still feeling the warmth of the sea wind flowing around them. The sun had begun to vanish from the horizon edge.

"There's a war out there, you know," Apollo spoke regretfully. "Who knows what terrible things we'll have to go through?"

Artemis nodded her head curtly and buried herself deeper into her mate's arms. "I know. But we'll make it. We can do this."

"Yeah. I can't help but feel that I'm going to be needed out there."

"I feel the same way… but right now, all I know is I need you right here."

The wind rolled by for several more minutes, no doubt carrying with it the boisterous emotions of new love. Artemis and Apollo watched the sun slowly recede behind the horizon, not moving an inch until the top nearly disappeared.

"It's late, Artemis… we should probably go."

"Apollo… let's just stay like this."

"Alright, but just a little while longer."

"Yeah, just a little while longer."

Again, the vibrant colors of the scenery dissolved into a fluid, rapidly flowing into newfound shapes and colors. Instead of warm, peaceful hues, the colors descended into hostile dark tones. Ash, at one moment sitting, the next moment felt a massive punch in his gut land, sending him flying into a boulder.

Ash coughed, really hacked away the sensation in his stomach. He almost vomited inside the vision but held it in and looked up instead. What he saw made him wish he never looked up ever again. It was night, a waning moon casting only the faintest of eerie light. He saw puddles of dark liquid scattered about, smelled sweat and rotting flesh all around him, felt the jagged, unwelcoming gravel in his hands, and heard the most fiendish cry coming from somewhere on his right. Ash could almost taste death on his lips.

**[~~:~~****P.M.] ****Iron Island**** (East Ravine), ****Sinnoh Region**

Ash tried to get up and identify his attacker but found that it had moved on. Instead of giving him relief, Ash's eyes only found greater horror. Looking to his right, he saw a Tyranitar whose leg had smashed itself on top of another Pokémon's _head_. Driving back another impulse to wretch upon the earth, Ash noticed a small pool of blood forming underneath broken bones; the liquid gradually increasing and the body becoming disturbingly still. He ran to hide from the despicable sight while the unclaimed screams continued. Ash then heard a metallic voice ring through the air. He looked around to identify the voice.

"Poor bastard go' jamped. Nobody fucks wit us and gits awai wit'it. Damn, fuckuh' wasn' up to snaff. Failures git stomped," spoke an Aagron, walking away from the lying carcass, as if it were just part of the scenery.

It was dead. The unknown Pokémon, with its head facing away from Ash _was dead_, executed by the Dark and Rock type Armor Pokémon. The Aagron nodded in approval and continued to wander away from the poor heap. Ash turned away from the sight and saw another Pokémon, an Arcanine pacing back and forth in agitation. All around him he saw fully evolved Pokémon storming the area off in the distance, lighting fires where the few trees were or ravaging any semblance of living they could find. Lastly he saw two other Pokémon, a male Riolu whose body lay belly down on the ground, and another Riolu struggling on her knees.

"Damn straight boss," the Tyranitar gruffed. "I just wish we coulda' killed 'im earlier. Ya know he's jest dead weight if 'e couldn' even hold off two fucking _kids_. Haw da _fuck_ ah we gunna git dose berries back? An' whateva we gonna do wit em?"

"Oh no… she has the red sash!" Ash said aloud, realizing that the deceased Pokémon wasn't even a part of the duo, but rather part of the invasion—and he was murdered in cold blood. Fearing for the lives of the last two he shouted, "RUN!"

If only they could hear, he realized. Instead of running away, Artemis struggled even to get off her knees. Apollo too tried to get up off the ground in an attempt to protect her, but his injuries were plenty severe.

"I got de lass…" the Aagron growled angrily. "You crush 'im."

"It'll be a pleasure toinin' 'im into a crisp while she watch!" the Arcanine barked savagely as he moved towards Apollo.

In utter horror, the female Riolu looked up and saw the Arcanine slowly stalking up to her newly found love. She tried to get up to run to his aid, but a quick swing from Aagron's massive arm caught her by the neck and pegged her onto the mountain face. Lights flashed in her head and she barely clung onto consciousness. A rip formed at the edge of her sash, violently torn like the skin of Artemis' neck.

"Too slow, bitch," the Aagron gnashed his teeth. "I wonda what watchin' yer friend die will do to ya? We foind out, den I kill yeh!"

Artemis barely understood what her attacker said and could barely even form her response. But hearing the threat of her love's execution brought a rush to her head.

"No… n-not him!"

"Do it, yeh bloody puff!" Aagron smiled manically and starred Artemis down and spat in her face. "I'm gonna love jes' watchin' deh bahstad burn."

With a nod, the Arcanine formed a ball of fire so intense that the scenery adorned a devilish red hue, making shadows dance and the Aagron's visage looked like it crawled out of hell itself. Arcanine brought his head up to swing the Flamethrower toward the ground—

"NO, PLEASE! I'LL DO ANYTHING!"

Arcanine stopped. The shadows receded back into the darkness whence they came, rocks faded back to black, but the devil's look from the leader Aagron seemed not to fade away, but grow more evil still. The screams off in the distance and raging fires continued. The red sash hung limp, like a noose, ready to tighten. Ash could barely watch what was happening.

"Anythin' you say…" the merchant of Mephistopheles queried. "Now what coul such a damn fine piece o' flesh have ter offer uh ole' bloke loik meh?"

"I…" Artemis quivered and struggled to even breathe. "I d-don't…"

"WHAT MAKE YOU THINK A LIL'FUCK LOIK YOU CAN GIT AWAI WIT' BREAKIN' INTER AR FOOD?"

No response. Just tears.

"Woa, woa der' boss!" the Arcanine barked. "Get a good look at 'er befoh yeh kill er'! Yeh know we hadn' had good flesh fer' years since deh war started back 'ome!"

"Ohoo boys!" Tyranitar roared savagely as he beat his chest. "We gonna have fine cooch fer dinuh! Wadya say, boss?"

"Hehehehe…" the Aagron chuckled darkly. "Yee know what thay say back 'ome. Spare deh rod, spoil da choild! HAHAHA!"

Artemis closed her eyes in horror and couldn't bear the sight of these invading brutes. She knew what was about to happen but couldn't guard against it.

"Please no, just…" Artemis whimpered. "Spare him. Spare him!"

"Den you'll do sactly' what oi' say, yeh lil' slut. Dis is yer last chance. Give in ter us, or watch im' die!"

"I," she stuttered. "I—"

"Don't… give in to these… _bastards_!"

Utter silence came upon the scene. Apollo rose to his feet and fell back into a fighting stance, palm outward, and steadied himself for battle. With a ragged, weary voice he threatened the invaders with a voice laced with venom.

"Don't… lay… a—"

"Fuck dis, I kill yeh!" the Arcanine dashed ahead.

Before Apollo could even react to the attack coming from in front, a large rock smashed into his back, propelling him face down once again on the pebbles. Blood drew from his mouth and peppered the trail with dark crimson.

From his mouth flowed a trailing red, from her neck trailed a flowing red.

"Good goin' man!" Arcanine yelled at the Tyranitar's use of Rock Slide. "Fuck dis kid and let's git on ter some bettah fuckin'!"

Artemis let more tears fall to her cheeks. She couldn't even protect Apollo! And now he was going to suffer! She just wanted this to be all over, for life to be normal, but no. The war had to come here, to her home, to separate them!

"Fuck, now dat deh bloke is broke, yer gonna do sacly what oi say! One more peep outta his fuckin' mouth an' I blow deh mothafucka bak' ter kingdom come!" the Aagron threatened.

Ash couldn't bear the sight.

This is war, he realized. Senseless violence. No mercy. Not a hint of goodwill. Only pain, meaningless pain. Pain that rips away. Pain that will never heal. Nothing but death, nothing but dying.

Immortal wounds inflicted upon the living.

"Go on, yeh bitch. Tell im' dis was yer choice!" the Aagron spoke with mirth.

"T-this..."

"TELL IM' BEFORE I BLOW IS' FUCKIN' BRAINS OUT!"

His cutting, slashing metal voice rang throughout the ravine.

"T-this is my choice…!"

"Now tell im' yeh ave' ter do dis."

A whimper.

"AGH!" Artemis cried out. Aagron copped her using his other arm and left a gash across her face, blood trickling down to the ground off her jaw. Her sash caught one of the drops as it fell.

"Oim sorry, er, what wasat?

"I… I have to do this…!"

"Das bettuh. Now, tell im' yer gonna enjoy wut I'm gonna do ter yeh."

Artemis' eyes widened in horror. Ash ran out of his hiding place and rushed at Aagron with his fist wound back, ready to strike in a fit of rage.

"I… ohh… I'm gonna enjoy what h-he does to me…!"

"NO!" Ash yelled as he jumped and swung a punch against the Aagron's armored head. His hand slipped through and his body passed through the metal plating, distorting the Aagron's image where Ash jumped through, only to regenerate back in place. Ash swung another punch to no avail, still seething in anger at the scene.

"Yeh you will. Now, say yer happy ter give in tuh meh."

"DON'T LISTEN TO HIM!" Ash yelled in rage.

More punches flew out of Ash's fists. He saw Artemis pinned on the wall above him, crying at the prospect of what was inevitably to come, and yelled with all of his might and his strikes. He swung his feet and smashed his fists at the Aagron's armored legs, back, arms—anything just anything to get the scene to stop. Then, all of the rocks began to fade away. The fires burning in the background melded into the black surroundings, and even the Aagron, Arcanine, and Tyranitar and the dying Pokémon disappeared. The only thing left was Artemis suspended in the air and Apollo looking on from afar, completely helpless to change the course of fate. Ash stopped his useless assault and listened closely, panting at his effort, unable to change Artemis' memory. Her red sash wavered.

"Artemis…" he whispered into the black void.

"Apollo…" she whispered back.

The void collapsed upon the two lovers, leaving the Pokémon trainer completely alone in space.

After what he just saw, Ash would never, ever forgive anyone who violates another soul the way Artemis' was today, and he'd definitely never forget the twisted, broken scream that resounded at the end of that terrible, tragic memory.

**[~~:~~****A.M.] ****Iron Island (West Shore), ****Sinnoh ****Region**

Ash nearly blacked out from all of the stress in his chest. As he fell onto the floor in shear shock, he realized he could never look at anything the same. The world as he knew it had been completely shattered. No longer was the world of Pokémon one where creatures battled, where families were nourished, and friendships were wrought. Now the world of Pokémon took on an entirely new meaning. Suddenly the word wilderness carried more of the word's connotations.

Barely even beginning to process any of what he just saw, Ash tried to gather his bearings, heave himself off of the superimposed floor and try to take in the next memory. He wondered if the void was permanent, but after readjusting his eyes he could make out a nearly perfect night sky, a few shrub-like trees, and even the sound of the ocean somewhere far off. He realized this looked nothing like the last memory, so it must've been farther away, but probably still on Iron Island. Ash picked himself off the ground, took a deep breath and tried to find where the next memory took place. Soon enough, he picked up the scent of a campfire somewhere nearby.

He jogged in the direction where he could smell the burning cinders and found the site. What he saw nearly made him curse out in anger—if he only knew how. He saw an Arcanine, a Tyranitar, a few other fully evolved Pokémon, and an Aagron, all sleeping noisily around the smoldering center, no doubt hastily gathered at the whim of the Steel and Rock type. Before he could even throw a punch, he heard a broken, delicate cough from right behind him. The worst part was that it sounded like Artemis.

It was her, much to Ash's dismay. Now more than ever he hated not being able to change her memories. Bound up by Cheri vines to a boulder, Artemis coughed again into the ground, unable to cover her mouth. She looked like she hadn't eaten properly in days, her eyes showed great signs of fatigue, and worse, there were scarring marks along her wrists, abdomen, and neck. She'd been through this _over and over_, probably for a long time, Ash thought. Seeing the discarded assortment of berries near the campfire several feet away from her prison didn't make it any easier to stomach.

"Oh no… oh please no…" Ash voiced aloud at the scene.

He had seen enough. Ash wanted to get out of this nightmare so badly that he tugged at the ropes holding Artemis back over and over again, despite the fact that the images dissolved into oily shadows as he touched them. Ash knelt next to Artemis, begging for the ropes to come undone but they wouldn't move. Only when Artemis bent over to wretch over the ground from her aches did the ropes move, and only to strangle her further. Now that he was so close Ash suddenly heard soft whispers spoken with Artemis's voice. He heard the pained begging of her thoughts.

_How long… have I been here…?_

…_days…?_

…_weeks…?_

…_months…?_

…_I miss my home…_

…_I can't remember…?_

…_what was life was like... _

…_before the war…_

…_where's… my mom…?_

…_where's my dad…?_

…_my friends…?_

…_why aren't they here…?_

…_what happened to them…?_

…_does anyone know I'm gone…_

…_is anyone going to come…_

…_am I alone…?_

…_I feel so alone…_

…_I feel so powerless…_

…_I feel so worthless…_

…_I feel so pathetic…_

…_is it over__…?_

…_I don't want to be here…_

…_I just want to die …_

…_or at least…_

…_oh no…_

…_who's there...?_

…_are you here to hurt me…?_

…_defile me…?_

…_humiliate me…?_

…_or worse—wait…_

…_are you…?_

…_why are you here… _

…_what are you doing…?_

…_could it be…?_

…_is it you…?_

…_my love…?_

…_I wished…_

…_I prayed…_

…_I dreamed…_

…_is that you…?_

…_Apollo?_

Like the fade in of an aria, only one sound could be heard through the night, the faint sound of a blade running across something soft. Before there was only breathing, and air coming through the nostrils of the giant behemoth monsters, but now they were suddenly silenced and still. It happened once, then again, after each sound of a blade one head suddenly sank deeper into the ground. Artemis was drifting off to the darkness but Ash whipped his head around to look to see what was happening.

He looked around to the last Pokémon still breathing, and watched in a wretched mix of horror and jubilee as the blade sang its quiet song through the night. Aagron's head drifted into permanent silence. He looked to see who was the wielder of the blade, but only saw dark auburn eyes, ablaze with vengeance and burning with righteousness. Apollo had appeared in their midst.

Ash didn't even have time to react as Apollo threw his fashioned obsidian blade at the binding rope still held in Ash's hands. The blade resolutely sliced through Ash's palm, cut through the Cheri vines, and subsequently provided the keys to Artemis's prison cell. Ash withdrew his hand in reflex as his hand automatically regenerated from the cut because he too was an oily vision, and when he looked away from the mere illusion he saw something that he would instantly recognize as corporeal: the love Apollo had for Artemis.

He brought one arm under her neck, another under her legs, and with a gentle heave, quietly walked away from the camp without a word. Apollo didn't look back to see the punished villains who robbed innocence from his childhood, he didn't even look back to admire justice served for their crimes against Artemis. All he looked to were his lover's eyes, now without any anxiety, tiredness, or hopelessness. All that was shown was love.

And her sash was still there.

Once again the night scene faded calmly into the void. Instead of getting knocked around, Ash felt a giant rush of wind blowing up against his body. Instinctively he held onto the hat atop his head, and realized that he was actually flying through the night sky towards something truly massive.

**[~~:~~****P.M.] ****Mt. Coronet ****(Parthenon of the Spear Pillar), ****Sinnoh ****Region**

Ash looked around him and saw that the clouds were an angry gray, letting loose hundreds of thunderbolts, arcing thousands of miles in every direction. Ash could notice some peaks breaking through the clouds, but nothing stood out more than the great summit of Mt. Coronet, high above the churning sea of thunderstorms. Merely this was the appearance.

Truthfully there was no Mt. Coronet summit to speak of. Only a titanic black hole emanating horrid, intense energy from its center. The perturbed clouds surrounding Mt. Coronet turned clockwise at incredibly high speeds, spinning like a cyclone with the dark sphere of energy at its epicenter. Ash was guided through the clouds, watching the edges of the condensation distort in wildly unnatural ways.

_This looks like what happened at Alamos Town!_ Ash thought quickly. _But… it's so much bigger! What are those two doing in a place like this?_

When he finally landed on his feet he could still feel the winds pushing and pulling from the dark sphere up ahead. The few shrubs still around were blowing raggedly in every direction, the snow and dust kicked up chaotically all around him, and even the rocks and boulders moved precariously because of the force. Ash looked up to the dark sphere of distortion and wicked energy before him—it must've been five hundred meters or so away. Upon closer inspection he saw dozens of Pokémon, all gathered in clusters based on type, jettisoning their respective attacks against the sphere. Yet the sphere was _expanding._

It would've been a sight to see Spear Pillar in its heyday—its columns of worship erect and polished, the marble steps leading up to the Parthenon still freshly cut, and the different reliefs, statues, and ornate carvings of Pokémon calligraphy adorning the scene. However, the only thing that could be seen were the steps and a few columns; the Parthenon interior was completely obscured by the engorging sphere. Ash landed many ways away from the steps, but he could see Pokémon taking up refuge against the steps and columns as he moved up against the winds.

No matter what was tried, torrents of Hydro Pump, plumes of Fire Blast, shot upon shot of Hyper Beam, Ice Beam, or Solar Beam, the massive sphere of black energy continued to inch closer and closer, threatening to engulf the entire mountain. Dark Pulses dissolved upon impact, Dragon Breath exploded and crackled on the surface, Thunderbolt failed to disrupt the advance, String Shot dissipated as it neared the source. Sludge Bomb disintegrated as it met the dark energy, Earth Power slammed against the force to no avail, Shadow Balls exploded on contact, Mirror Shots deflected, Psychic, Focus Bomb, and Gust all seemed to have no effect on this colossal existential threat.

Ash struggled against the winds trying to find out the cause of this beautiful but dangerous chaos. He passed by whole families of Pelipper, flocks of Pidgeot, herd of Bayleef, Rhydon clans, Magmortar bosses, Steelix daimyos, even little kids like Umbreon, Plusle, Grimer, and Gabite, all who poured everything they had to contain the field. After needlessly excusing himself through a pair of Blissey using Heal Bell on a fallen Vespiquen, Ash finally found the two Pokémon he was searching for. Just a few more meters away, Artemis and Apollo were both struggling against the high winds, pushing further against the flow. Ash ran up to the two of them just to hear their voices over the noise. The red sash flapped steadily with the wind once more, alive, and in sync with the rush around it.

"I can't believe so many Pokémon are gathered here… I just don't understand why they're not going in! Can you ask someone?" Artemis shouted out.

"Excuse me, ma'am! Why is everyone gathered here?" Apollo asked a couple who were currently focused on driving the energy back.

"My child, you mustn't be here!" a middle-aged Gardevoir on the left shouted in worry.

She couldn't afford to have her focus waver from her attack and returned her hard gaze upon the darkness, her brilliant crimson eyes bathed in blue. The Pokémon to her right, a Gallade shouted out to relieve her.

"Calista, I'll take care of this! Attend to these young and explain. Please be quick!"

"I understand" Dionne, the Gardevoir lowered her arms and disengaged the glow from her eyes. "Be safe Io!"

"I won't let this expand any further than it already has!" Io nodded affirmatively and continued to pour psychic energy into his efforts. "You can count on me, dear! Now go!"

"Ma'am, I don't understand, why is everyone gathered here?" Artemis asked as Gardevoir cautiously walked over to where she was standing. "What were you and your husband doing?"

"Dear, everyone gathered here has lost someone to the Conflict… we want to help in whatever way we can! Others of us have been waiting for days, some even weeks for their loved ones to return after going inside the sphere! Some humans were the first to enter in, none of them have come back, and more others are Pokémon Rescue Teams, following in the wake of the Great Explorer Scizor! He too journeyed inside, but this was already three months to the day!"

"Then… you mean this is…?

"Yes dear, this is the threshold of the Great Conflict," Dionne responded sadly. "Beyond this, the great Gods of our world are waging war! Beyond this threshold, time and space distort and break down, and the world as we know it is gone! That's what I've been told!"

Apollo looked away from the Gardevoir and her explanation into the void. For some reason it seemed to call out to him, beckoning him from beyond the great sea of unknown.

"If you go too far beyond this, there's no telling if you're coming back alive, or even coming back at all!" Gardevoir warned. "You kids shouldn't be here! Go back where you came and—!"

"—I'm going in!"

Immediately Gardevoir and Artemis snapped their attention to Apollo's visage. Confidence, determination, and unwavering purpose flooded his features, and both women could feel his resolution burning through him.

"You… you can't!" Gardevoir stalled. "You're just a child! Listen, dear, I'm not your mother but I've already lost both of my sons to this war! Don't throw your own lives away!"

"Calista, come back!" the Gallade called to his wife over the roaring winds. "I can't hold on forever!"

"Coming, Io…! Take care, you two. Be safe!"

As Gardevoir rushed away from the two young Pokémon, Apollo couldn't resist the feeling he found nestled in his chest. He looked to the unyielding sphere of ominous black, turned to all of the Pokémon pouring everything into their attacks, and finally turned to Artemis. He couldn't help but see her eyes pleading for him to abandon these dangerous thoughts, but he also couldn't help but admire how nicely his mother's red sash looked on his mate. Saddened by the thought of what he would lose, but heartened by the good memories he had gained, Apollo turned to the sphere and started walking.

"Apollo, no!" Artemis cried out. "Don't go in there!"

"I have to," Apollo said, walking towards the sphere, gingerly looking back to Artemis. "If I don't, no one else will. This war has been going on for long enough."

"But you've heard what happens to anyone who goes through the barrier! No one ever comes back! You just heard what that Gardevoir said!" Artemis said, grabbing Apollo's hand to dissuade him.

"Then so be it. I want to end this, once and for all! If the rumors are correct, and my training paid off, then I know what it takes to stop the war!" He continued his march of doom but Artemis kept up with him.

"Listen… I know you're sick of the war, and I am too…" Artemis reasoned. "But you can't go in there!"

"But if it's true that humans have somehow made the Red Chain, and they're using it to against the Gods, and that's the source of the war, then the only thing that can stop them is a Guardian of Aura! I have to go in!"

"Apollo, you're not even a true Guardian yet!" Artemis exclaimed. "I know it's not your fault that those… those _brutes_ came to Iron Island to exterminate the monastery, but you can't just go in there thinking you're indebted to them!"

Apollo for once fell silent. The roar of the winds and Artemis' reasoning seemed to have drowned him out, but he still had one final thought.

"I might not be a true member of the Order, but I know what my duty as a squire is. This war has been falsely blamed on my brothers and sisters in Aura, and they're being hunted and murdered in cold blood, seemingly justified as trials of war. If there's anything I can do to stop that from continuing, I must, and I will do it! I'm going!"

"But please!" Artemis begged. "Let's just forget the whole thing and leave it all behind! We could run away and be happy together! You said it yourself that you'd love that!"

"But then what would I be doing? I'd have wasted everyone else's sacrifice!" Apollo said, not backing down. "Don't you remember our friends who've died? Don't you remember how our parents died to protect the monastery? I won't let their lives be in vain!"

He pulled his hand out of her grasp.

"I'm going in, no matter what. It's my duty."

Artemis felt all of her emotions build up in her eyes. She could feel the touch of his fur against hers at the beach like it was yesterday—and she longed to feel the sensation of his snout on hers tomorrow! But here he was in the present, leaving her behind with nothing but a red cloth draped around her neck.

"_Over my dead body!" _Artemis shouted.

Apollo tried to put one more foot on the ground towards the sphere, but his body locked up, enslaved by the mental faculties of Artemis' family Psychic attack. She mentally raised him up into the air, let the wind push him further back, and mentally dropped him on the floor in a heap. As her mate rose to the occasion, Artemis fell back into her favorite fighting stance, the one she used to defeat Apollo all those months ago, and prepared herself for a fight.

"Apollo… I can't let that happen…"

He looked upon his best friend, greatest ally, and first love, and felt something great well up in his chest. He nearly smiled at the thought but steeled his visage and prepared for battle. It took him a few moments to realize what it was that he felt in his chest. He was proud. Proud to have met the greatest woman in his entire life.

"Yes. Oh yes you will…"

At that thought Apollo rushed towards Artemis at great speed despite the winds roaring around him. As his Quick Attack drew ever closer, Artemis spun on her heels and let her fists fly in a circle—Reversal.

The two attacks collided into each other; Apollo's hardened snout smashed into Artemis' rotating fist. Now that they were in a close quarter combat situation, the two Fighting types danced in a flurry of kicks, punches, and blocks.

"No. Way—!"

Right hook to his face, forearm block. Roundhouse kick to her abdomen and jump into the air.

"I'm. Gonna—!"

Mid-air jab to his skull, sidestep. Land on the ground, axe kick to her right shoulder. Grab him with both paws.

"Let. You—!"

Angular push to the right, spin him enough so that he's facing away.

"Get. Yourself—!"

Channel fire energy into lower right leg.

"KILLED!"

Blaze Kick to Apollo's back.

He must've flown several meters away with his face getting buried into the rubble. Artemis wasn't playing around. She knew that without going at him with the intent to win, she would never convince him to stop his march of martyrdom. Ash couldn't help but admire the courage, no less the physical prowess of the two fighters.

"That's not your choice to make, Artemis." Apollo got up off the rugged ground and spat.

"Apollo, how can you say that?" She couldn't control the emotions going through her head. "We're a team! We've got to stick together!"

"And it's because we're a team that we got this far, Artemis! But now… remember by the ocean, when I told you I felt that I was needed out there, and you said you feel the same way?"

Artemis' eyes widened at his words. She remembered how nervous he sounded, how the world seemed to be theirs for that one moment, and how their love first grew, and the words they spoke. Only now did she understand what he meant.

"Oh no…" Artemis whispered softly.

"Yes," Apollo affirmed. "Even then it's like I knew what it would take to end this war! It would take somebody to sacrifice themself—their Aura!"

Artemis couldn't bear to look at Apollo for another moment. She knew what was required of them, she knew what it would take to make the world a happy place once again, but to do that would make _her world_ a happy place no longer. That world would only bring her pain, the pain of knowing she lost the love of her life. She bowed her head and let a single tear drop from her eye.

At that very moment, an incredible field of energy enveloped her. Light emanated from her core, bathing the surrounding mountain with brilliant silvery glow. Her legs and arms grew longer, horns emerged on her backhands and chest, fur enveloped her abdomen, chest, and neck, her head appendages split into two pairs, her ears grew more astute, and her snout grew further out from her head. The red sash fell off her mature neck and fluttered away.

Just as the light dissipated, Artemis fell to one knee, unable to keep her composure. She openly wept. Artemis, no longer a Riolu, wept on her knee for what she knew she had to do.

"Apollo…" With her eyes still closed, she spoke with a slight quiver in her voice. "You know what this means. This means we were meant to be together…!"

When she opened her eyes, she looked right in front of her to where Apollo was last. The Apollo she last knew wasn't there.

"A… Apollo?"

She looked straight ahead to see if the Riolu she fell in love with was there any longer. What she saw instead was a Lucario, holding her fallen red sash in his hands.

"Apollo you—!"

"Yes…" He nodded solemnly and took one step in front. "We are meant to be together."

Artemis slowly let the meaning of his words repeat in her head. With a sad, wide smile she let all of her tears fall. Apollo, still a ways away continued to cautiously take one step in front of the other, speaking slowly with each word. Artemis blinked and brought her paw up to wipe the tears away, but when she looked back at Apollo he was no longer there. Panic surged through her just before she felt cloth being gently wrapped around her neck.

"I love you, and thank you for everything," Apollo said whilst putting the finishing touches on the sash knot. He brought his newly grown snout up to her neck and lightly licked right below her ear affectionately. When he finished he backed away with Artemis still facing away from him in shock.

"Maybe we'll meet again…"

Artemis turned around to see Apollo holding Aura Sphere.

"…in the next life."

Without any warning, Apollo withdrew his right arm and smashed it right into Artemis' abdomen. The force of the attack sent her careening right into one of the temple columns, leaving cracks in the marble artwork. She was unconscious before she even hit the ground.

Ash ran over to the crumpled heap that was Artemis, the newly evolved Lucario. When he finally reached her, he looked over to the dark energy sphere and saw Apollo extending one arm directly in front of him. As the dark sphere grew closer and closer to him, Apollo continued to walk towards it. When he finally touched the sphere, his body appeared to distort and crackle like a glitched sound waveform until he disappeared entirely.

Ash wanted to help Artemis get up and fight, to get up and follow Apollo into the darkness, but the vision wouldn't allow it. He realized that even if he could talk to Artemis, even if he could change her memory, her mind was already decided. She wouldn't have followed him into the sphere to die, because she wanted to be in a world where the two of them lived. Now, Ash realized, the only thing she could ever come to accept is a world where only one of them was around.

Suddenly the sphere grew unstable. The swirling winds began cackling with violent energy, and pulsing with gusts of cyclone-like intensity. Ash heard more shouts of attacks against the dark sphere, but those shouts became more pained and more frequent. The Pokémon struggled against the sphere's expansion, putting everything they had into their attacks, trying to hold it back. The sphere continued on as if no amount of attacks could prevent its destabilization. Then, it happened.

A concussive shockwave burst from the sphere propelling all Pokémon within kilometers of it back with ruthless force. Not a single Pokémon could withstand the winds and several Pokémon struggled to even get up after the fall. Then the sphere began to contract. At first the recession was at a crawl, almost like the expansion in reverse, but then it began contracting at higher rates, and higher still. Instead of predictably getting smaller in a linear fashion, the sphere was contracting at an accelerated pace.

Looks of pure horror adorned every Pokémon's face as they saw the sphere recede into a smaller and smaller orb. As its borders drew closer to its epicenter the winds blustered more, the energy crackled more violently, and the sphere seemed to distort, even suck in light itself like a black hole.

Full retreat and panic ensued. Every single Pokémon knew what was about to happen. The sphere would collapse in upon itself, then explode across an enormous radius, devastating everything on the Mt. Coronet summit.

Ash knelt over Artemis, trying to shield her from the ensuing blast despite knowing that his efforts would be all for naught. As his heart rate climbed to dangerously high levels he saw Pokémon of all kinds and of all regions retreating from the scene. The Ground and Rock types dug their way through the mountain terrain, the Flying and Psychic Pokémon were navigating through the air to a safe haven, and all the land based Pokémon ran as fast as they could to get away from the impending doom.

Ash realized that he was alone. No longer was there Pokémon carrying conversation; no Gardevoir and Gallade, no Artemis and Apollo, not even the shouts of struggling saints against the evil cascade of the black sphere. All that separated him from the impending explosion was rocks, pillars of marble, and the mere reassurance that this was all a memory.

He looked back to the shrinking sphere. Where it once obscured everything across its three-dimensional radius, it no longer covered those areas. Ash saw the Parthenon in its entirety. It was pristine, columns of marble, altars made of granite adorned with minerals, hallways stretching across great distances, and finally a shrine of some sort with the now miniscule sphere hovering hundreds of feet over it.

"Have I… seen that shrine before?" he wondered.

Perhaps he would've remembered if the sphere hadn't burst into a blinding white light. Ash shielded his eyes from the glowing sphere and turned around to see if Artemis was still there. Unfortunately he couldn't find Artemis on the floor, mostly because the floor had disappeared entirely.

**[~~:~~****~.~.] ****? (Hall of Origin), ****?**

Ash realized that he was standing in a pure white room, and no matter where he looked he couldn't find any differentiating landmarks to guide him—he just saw more white. He turned around and walked, but he immediately hit some sort of barrier that fizzled into a distorted image of rubble. Ash cleared his head from the collision and put his hands up to the barrier. As if looking through a foggy window, he could see something that looked like where he just was, only significantly damaged and changed.

Instead of seeing marble columns, statues, and altars, all he could see was a massive depression of rubble. Instead of Spear Pillar atop the great summit of Mt. Coronet, Ash realized he was looking at a destroyed crater.

He decided that going backwards was clearly not the way to proceed, so instead of relying on his sight to guide him, he listened for something—anything to show him where to go next. What he heard saddened him. If he had to guess, Artemis was crying somewhere far away. Ash ran in that direction.

What he came across would've startled anybody. Arranged in a wide fashion, the legendary Pokémon Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf formed the outer edges of an enormous triangle, with the Origin Trio, Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina forming a circle in the middle. Further out than where Ash began, he noticed three Pokémon completely unknown to him. One looked like a pitch black dragon with rad eyes, squared wings, a hardened head, and a glowing blue cone for a tail. Another was a regal white dragon with blue eyes, soft feathered wings, a streamlined head, and a fiery red cone for a tail. The last was an angular grey dragon with yellow eyes, deformed wings, a menacing head, and a stifled three pronged tail.

Ash slowed down to a walking pace as he reached the spot where Azelf was. He saw that Azelf was meditating and chanting something in an eerie but beautiful language and continued walking. He passed by Dialga who was kneeling on the ground, also chanting in synchronism with Azelf. On further inspection, Ash realized that every legendary Pokémon was chanting in this strange way. Furthermore, he saw that they were all gathered around someone very important. Surrounded by eighteen glowing Plates, the Alpha Pokémon Arceus was collapsed on the ground.

Ash managed to stifle a gasp at the sight. All around him were the very Pokémon rumored to have created the Heavens and the Earth, for some reason gathered in this strangely simple, but obviously consequential place. Ash dodged the orbiting Plates and managed to get through to Arceus, and was relieved to see that Artemis was there, talking to the grand Pokémon. What he wasn't relieved to see was the sorry state she had ended up in. Not having Apollo around anymore was clearly taking its toll.

Looking further, Ash realized that Arceus and all of the other legendary Pokémon were severely injured. Ash noticed gashes on the three Lake Guardians, incision marks on the Origin Trio, crimson blood oozing out of the dragons on the edge of the empty space, and abrasions of all kinds on the creator himself. All of them looked painfully beaten, as if tortured or somehow whipped into submission. Ash wondered what sort of foul monster could've done such a thing, what sort of evil behemoth would've hurt Pokémon to this extent! Ash vowed to discover what the Great Cataclysm actually was.

"Did the Red Chain have something to do with it? Perhaps Apollo knew…" Ash wondered aloud. "That's why he wanted to end it at all costs…"

The cries continued. Ash looked upon the weeping form of Artemis and was pleased to see that she still had the red sash around her neck. He just wish these memories could've turned out differently. Suddenly he heard a great fatherly voice emanate throughout the plain, white existence. To his dismay, Ash realized that it sounded greatly injured, as only an immortal might feel pain.

"Those who were… trapped in the extraneous dimension have been… sacrificed. Their essences have been set aside for… re-incarnation. All of those brave heroes… all of those wicked villains, they… will come again in other forms… in other worlds. But as for your Apollo…

"I am sorry…" Arceus' voice boomed. "Everyone within the Conflict, what you saw as the time-space barrier, is gone… your friend included. He… saved me. Without the sacrifice of Aura Guardian Satoshi, Apollo, and their mutual friend Pikachu… I would no longer be standing here. And the universe… would cease to exist."

"Aura Guardian _Satoshi_? A mutual friend Pikachu?" Ash asked in surprise. "What the heck happened here?"

"So he…" Artemis managed to ask despite the lump in her throat. "He's really not here?"

"No, not… anymore. I… am forever in his debt. If he and that Pikachu hadn't broken the Red Chain, I… would've been enslaved by my own creations," Arceus confessed solemnly. "Your friend… made a huge personal sacrifice. You should know that he… truly loved you."

At that Artemis let the tears come down. To hear the very creator of the universe reveal that the most significant person in your life is gone simply broke her heart. Ash couldn't help but feel his eyes water at the mere thought. If he had to hear if anyone in his life was gone forever, anyone like his mom, Pikachu, his friends… he didn't even want to think about that. Ash realized he must've jumped into this vision mid-conversation.

"Little one, I am… so sorry. There is nothing I can do in my power to… bring him back to you here. All I have left must be devoted to… reconstructing the dimensions. My power has… waned… and I must fall into slumber very soon after. It… must be this way."

That would not be enough for Artemis, however.

"_What am I to do_? War has ravaged my homeland, my friends have perished in battle, and now my mate…"

With those words Arceus painstakingly raised his head and used his abilities as the progenitor of the universe to look across time and space for any clues as to where Apollo may be. After several moments passed by, and Artemis still on her knees crying for her lost love, Arceus spoke with stoic confidence and reassurance.

"There… is still time."

Artemis nearly choked at the sudden news. She had already begun trying to accept that Apollo was dead.

"Huh?"

"There… is still time," Arceus repeated.

"I don't understand…" Artemis said, trying to wipe away the tears. "Time?"

"He is begotten… begotten in… time," Arceus spoke quizzically.

"He's alive…?" Artemis' eyes widened like they had never before. "_He's alive!_"

"Indeed," Arceus nodded. "Now… young one, go… and seek him! If the love you share… is an ocean, then time… will be your _vessel_."

"Vessel? You mean, like, travel?" Artemis understood. "So time travel! That's it! Great One, how may I do this?"

"Go… to the land of Gold and… Silver…" Arceus voice faltered. "In the valley protected by the Chromos Chronicler… the…! Voice of the Forest!"

Artemis rose to her feet and wiped more of her tears away.

"Thank you! Oh, thank you Great One! But how am I to leave this place?

"Leave that to me," Arceus struggled to speak. "I've… decided to split this… plane of existence into three… as the deep black… the vast white… and the accursed boundary… plane…"

Ash and Artemis backed away as they both realized that Arceus was struggling to stand. With a mighty heave of his leg, he managed to push most of his torso off the white floor, but it was very clear that Arceus was using the very last bits of his strength.

"One plane… shall be the domain of… humanity in isolation… another, the domain of Pokémon alone… the other… a troubled splice… of the two together…"

The Plates began to revolve around the Alpha Pokémon.

"I will… separate… the power of myself, and… my brethren! I… _agh!_ will ensure… this never… can happen… again! _Agh!_"

Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina slowly rose as well in concert with the Creator.

"One plane… will nourish their… intellectual essence… their… mental faculties! And…!"

The Lake Guardians recited the last chorus of the chant and slowly rose above the pure white ground.

"The other plane… will restrain their, _agh_… carnal essence… their… physical prowess! And… the other…_agh!_"

Arceus stood tall and proud with its creations in the anomalous dimension.

"And they… shall… intersect… at the boundary… where it all began… nothing… and where it… will all… end… everything."

Arceus slowly began to rise off the ground with the assistance of the eighteen Plates, enveloped in multicolored light and energy. Slowly but surely, the other Pokémon too rose into the air along still in shrine formation. Gradually the Gods of the Heavens and Earth revolved around Arceus, in a slow dance, enveloping great amounts of energy of all forms.

Artemis realized that she must leave this place to allow the Alpha Pokémon give new life to the ravaged Earth, so she whispered her thanks to the Pokémon of creation, and ran the other way. Ash ran alongside Artemis but looked back to see Arceus and his creation continue to rise into the white abyss in a symphony of movement.

Then, in the blink of an eye, Arceus emanated one last incredible explosion of energy, washing it over the mysterious realm, making the Origin, Lake, and Tao Trio disappear. Ash turned back around to where Artemis was to be, but he realized that this epic trekker too had been wiped away into the perpetual white, the memory changed once more.

**[~~:~~****A.M.]**** Arbor Forest ****(Relic Shrine), ****Johto ****Region**

What was once the wasteland void became filled with the lush greenery of a forest, the white nothing became filled with rocks covered in moss, and the once barren white heavens became the canopy hidden blue sky. Shrubs, thick trees, and incredibly diverse foliage came into the scene. Ash stopped running and breathed in the moist, damp air, so full of life where the last scene had nothing of the sort. As he looked around for the source of the memory, Ash thought to himself that this was nearly becoming routine. Finally he came across Artemis, but what he saw gave him a wave of timely nostalgia. There, talking with this female Lucario was Celebi: the Voice of the Forest.

"Please, I beg of you, Voice of the Forest! Will you take me with you to my loved one?"

"Sweetheart, even though I have located him and I respect the quest you've been given by the Original One, I have to warn you, time travel is extraordinarily risky!" Celebi heaved a heavy sigh, with good nature clearly present.

"By traveling to the future, you condemn others around you to live lives that were not meant to be!" She floated up and down gracefully with the soft breeze. "Are you absolutely sure you're willing to risk that? Think about them too!"

"Great Voice, I truly have no one left. My friends have perished, my home is no more, and my love is lost in time. My love is all that sustains me," Artemis steeled herself and spoke resolutely. She brought her hand up to her neck where the red sash was. "Please Voice, I beg of you. Take me to where I belong!"

Celebi looked deeply into Artemis' eyes and recognized the sincerity of her soul. The Grass and Psychic time traveler breathed in, closed her eyes and spoke in a strong, mythical voice.

"_Great tailor of space, arbiter of perception, counsel of existence, and most precious gift of all… will thou remember this moment_?"

_DONG!_

The song of a great bell rang throughout the forest.

"This is your last chance. After this you cannot turn back," Celebi explained. "This new universe no longer has a past I can return you to. Are you willing to risk everything?"

_DONG!_

The bell chimed once again. Waves of blue-green light washed over the trees and shrubs. Wind circulated around the two adventurers.

"Everything and more. I am ready."

_DONG!_

Her sash kicked up in the rushing wind.

"Thou hast remembered."

_DONG!_

The bell chimed for a final time, and at that Celebi offered her hand to Artemis. She gracefully held on, and the light enveloped the two of them. Ash watched as Celebi's energy expanded to encompass both of their spatial forms, forming rings of blue-green light against the expanse of the forest, and then suddenly it was all over. Ash saw that the two had been transported into the future, and he was still in the forest. It was only after Ash heard the chirping of the Pidgey and Noctowl a few seconds later that he became concerned about the next memory.

Luckily for him, Ash felt too tired to care after going through so many harrowing visions. He slumped to the ground on his knees and let gravity do the rest. As his hands fell to the floor to cushion his head, he noticeably felt grateful that the sand had cushioned his fall.

Wait a second…

_SAND…?_

**[19:21 P.M.] Sunyshore City (Beach), Sinnoh Region**

Ash finally realized that he was actually slobbering all over the Sunyshore beach when he woke up. After getting back onto his knees and wiping the sand off his face, he tried to make sense of what it was that he just witnessed. It felt like he'd literally been taken on a tour through both the best that the world had to offer and the absolute worst the world wanted to sweep under a rug. He noticed his cap and the red sash were lying on the sand next to him.

_It's over, huh…_ Ash thought to himself. He didn't really know if he wanted it to stop. He was learning so much, but there were also so many questions to ask…

How long ago was all this?

What was normal life like for those kids?

Why did these things have to happen to them?

Were people once afraid of Guardians of Aura?

Who were those humans who enslaved the Gods?

How did they do it?

Who had to sacrifice themselves to save the world that time?

What kind of people were they like?

Who _was_ Aura Guardian Satoshi?

Three planes of existence?

Intersection? Boundary? Nothing? Everything?

What about Michina Town?

Pokémon have names?

What on _earth _have you gotten yourself into, Ash?

"Laou?"

Ash shook himself free from any more questions when he realized Cynthia's Lucario was still there. Still on both knees, Ash looked at this Pokémon full of wonder, realizing full well why she was so removed from everyone else, and why she seemed so distant—she was distant from the love of her life.

"I…" Ash began. He didn't really know what to say. Not that he ever really did, to be frank.

Lucario looked upon Ash with hesitant expectancy. She had gone through those memories so personally, and only now did she have someone who she could share those memories with. Even that was a relief. But still, there was so much pain tearing her apart. She needed to know that Ash would be there for her.

"What you've been through… I…" Ash spoke softly, nearly on the verge of tears. "Nobody, should _ever _have to go through that. I'm… so sorry."

Lucario looked to the beach knowing full well what Ash meant. She could tell it was sincere and understanding. Hell, Ash had practically witnessed the most unfortunate moments of her very life!

"Artemis…" Ash whispered. He picked up the red sash off of the sandy beach and offered it to the Pokémon in front of him.

Lucario looked first to the sash, then back at Ash.

"Let's go find Apollo."

At that Artemis smiled. It wasn't a smile of retribution or hate for the past, but rather of understanding and hope for the future. She smiled as she grasped the memento of her love, as she wrapped it once again around her neck, and as she stood up with the Guardian of Aura before her.

It would've been the perfect scene out of a movie: a sunset beach, a trainer and a newfound friend, and even a nice tattered prop to complete the romanticism of it all. It would've been perfect if not for Ash's impetuous stomach, booming like the behemoth that created the universe itself.

"Can we get some food first, though?"

* * *

_Author's Responses to the Reviews:_

**Kurtispj5:** Quite honestly, Mass Effect 3 has STILL shut down all my motivation to do anything that isn't Mass Effect related. That multiplayer is like dangling a carrot in front of a rabbit (me). I love it when readers feel the conversation naturally! That's what makes it believable!

**mercenaryflyer:** I don't remember Pikachu knowing Double Team, but I know he once knew Leer attack! LOLZ I love the original series. Yeah man, making Gliscor female seemed very natural to me. A lot of fictions seem to portray her that way, and I dunno if I am at the level where I can make a Pokémon flamingly homosexual. :P

**Sazan:** I am so glad you think so highly of this! Personally I still find it hard to accept fanfiction as a legitimate practice, so to hear you call this a masterpiece is beyond me. You make my heart smile. :)

**Hyrulian Hero Akai:** Yup. You are absolutely right. The Advanceshipping portion hasn't been fleshed out yet, _and_ it doesn't mesh well with Mystery Dungeon. I think I'm gonna keep May a human. :P

**Anele1996:** I confess I have done the same same thing! I read a great story, don't favorite it or something, and then lose it forever! GOD that infuriates me. Hope you're around for this one!

**AbZHz101:** Yeah I recently learned that Piplup is male. I'll be sure to make that clear the next time I go through a wave of edits.

**Cyber Angel Rowan:** I'm glad you liked my descriptions! Don't feel bad about the MD part. I've left that ambiguous so far. Its true nature has been hinted at in this chapter but nothing has been explicitly connected. Stay tuned for more! :D

**GUEST:** "The space and time discussion was so fucking confusing 0.o *bangs head on table*" haha I don't blame you man. You should read some works that explain existentialism. That shit gets even more confusing. ^_^

_Dear__Readers,_

Alright, so the edits were rather small in writing, but monstrous in consequence. I've added Zekrom, Reshiram, and Kyurem into the mix, and did so without disrupting any of my previous intentions. Don't worry this is all going smoothly.

[I hope you guys don't think I butchered the NSFW section of the story today. To be honest I've come to know two women who've been raped, and one of them was a girl I had loved very dearly. Nobody deserves that. Nobody. I've done quite a lot of reading into the subject and the psychology of it all, and it's just sick. I've wanted to write about it and apply it to my own story for some time, and I hope it's been accomplished. I apologize if you believe it hasn't.

Since the last update so much shit has happened. I got hired at a law firm, threw down too much beer pong, and settled some things with the girl friends of mine. Yeeee. I'm so sorry for not updating! This story is one of the greater things that I'm proud of. Fear not, this story will be completed! Now that college has started and I have a greater work ethic, things should get moving once again.

I guess the tradeoff is that with _**OVER 9000**_ legitimate words in this chapter it was going to take a lot longer to write, but now you'll be happy because it'll take that much longer to read! LOL] – 26 pages and 11,000 words. Shit this is the largest chapter ever.

Also a small note, I've never played a single Kingdom Hearts game other than 358/2 Days. I'm sure I was just missing the earlier backstory, but I never understood why the /2 was in the title. I also understood that the characters like Roxas were simple rearrangements of their real names with an X included. I should finish that shit up.

* * *

Story Notes:

5000 years ago – Great Conflict, a struggle between humans who used the Red Chain on Legendary Pokémon and those who were affected by its consequences. Marks the split into multiple universes

* * *

_Author__'__s__Notes:_

Uploaded, 09/06/2012

| established Pokémon individuality/dabbled in violent and abhorred aspects of nature/created two planes of existence/Ash no longer innocent/cemented universe timetable |

RE: edit. 02/11/13


	29. Far Cry

**Chapter ****Twenty:**** Far Cry**

Normal, little Electric type rodents do not shun food. It keeps their metabolism high, their static electricity organs healthy, their soft fur plentiful, and most of all, their stomachs full. When presented with an opportunity to nourish one or all of the above, it's usually against both primordial and tertiary instincts to ignore that opportunity. In other words, you see the food? You eat the food. Most rodents follow this simple life philosophy. It's kept their species alive and their individuals happy for generations.

One particularly special rodent decided to defy the accepted model, to become a brave renegade against natural law, and ignored the prize resting below him. Perhaps Pikachu would've been deserving of a title like 'brave renegade', if only he weren't withdrawing behind the thick foliage of Torterra's tree like a coward.

You see, nobody had seen Ash's starter Pokémon ever since the very beginning of dinner. That alone was odd. They say that Pokémon sometimes take after their trainers, but Pikachu _definitely _picked up his hunger habits from Ash. Everyone just expected Pikachu to scarf down his food and maybe swipe the ketchup off the table too. Ignoring the food entirely was completely unprecedented. No, right now Ash's Pikachu decided for some reason that sitting in a tree took precedence over dinner. Go figure.

**[19:50****P.M.] ****Sunyshore City (Beach), ****Sinnoh Region **

"Pikachu, someone's gonna nab your food if you don't eat it, you know," Torterra grumbled whilst lowering to the ground, ready for a nap. It's not like he could actually see Pikachu, but he could feel some casual static shocks going around his tree branches.

"SHHH!" an exasperated voice replied from behind a collection of leaves. "I'm hiding!"

It would've been comical if someone had passed Torterra by and noticed a small patch of brown-striped-yellow-something sticking out of the leaves. To his credit though, Pikachu at least curled himself into a ball and dragged his obtrusive tail along with the rest of his body.

"Look man, just because I evolved doesn't mean you can perch in my tree! It doesn't feel right! If you were a flying mouse then it'd be cool," Torterra said. He just wanted some Z's, but those teeny shocks still jumped around where Pikachu was. "Who're you hiding from anyway? Buneary?"

"I can deal with Buneary!" Pikachu whispered, poking his head out from the branches. "I'm hiding from Glaceon!"

"Yuck, I can't stand Ice Types!" Torterra shuddered at the thought and rustled his branches. "I'd probably hide too."

"You should try sparring her… ahhh… on a regular basis," May's Venusaur yawned out. "Wake me when that Champion trainer stops talking, alright?"

"Me too," Torterra said, closing his eyes. "You got the right idea."

"Hey! Don't nap on me now!" Pikachu whispered hurriedly. "Someone's gotta warn me if Glaceon comes back! Guys!"

The only response Pikachu got was Torterra's snoring and the light rustle of his leaves that came along with it.

"Oh great…" Pikachu muttered. He tried to pass the time away by moving along the branches, but that happened to get one Water type Pokémon's attention on the ground.

"Huh?"

"Shhh!"

Buizel certainly didn't expect the tree to reply back, at least not in such a rude tone. On close inspection, he noticed something yellow and stripped moving through the leaves. That made a lot more sense than talking foliage.

"Hey Pikachu! What are you doing up in Torterra's tree?" Buizel called out, waving him down. "You know that Blaziken who just showed up? She and our Infernape are gonna have a sparring match and I'm referee! Get down here!"

"Buizel, please not so loud!" Pikachu said, covering his ears as if that would help bring Buizel's volume down. "I'm hiding from Glaceon! You'll blow my cover!"

"Oh man, that again?" Buizel asked, rolling his eyes. "Dude, can't you see she's just chilling over there all alone?"

"Are you trying to lure me away with a terrible pun?" Pikachu asked, popping his head out of the leaves.

"No man, I mean she's literally right there just napping by herself!" Buizel said as if the world was privy to the information. "She's given up looking for you after all this time!"

Pikachu couldn't tell where Glaceon was, so that suit him very well.

"You know, the number one rule of hiding is that if I can't see her, then she can't see me! Don't pull my tail!"

"Oh come _off it_ already!" Buizel groaned, exasperated by Pikachu's hooliganisms. "Just talk to her, and settle whatever you've got going on with her! It can't be that bad."

"But what about Buneary?" Pikachu reasoned, already retreating back into the tree. "She'd flip if she found out I'm talking to someone other than her! I'll never see the light of day ever again!"

"Don't worry about it, man! I've got her distracted with the match coming up anyway."

Buizel looked around, saw nobody, and heaved a mental sigh of relief. Someone would tease him for days for looking like he was reasoning with tree bark. Buizel tried a few more cards up his floatation sack.

"Come on, where's the brave Pikachu who's helped me overcome my fear of humans and my fear of making friends?"

"…"

"_Well_?"

"… hiding in a tree…!"

"I didn't want to do this…" Buizel sighed, a mischievous smirk adorning his face. "But I wonder what would happen if someone were to wake poor, lonely Glaceon from her slumber?"

Pikachu's ears shot up like a rocket.

"She'll be so upset her nap got interrupted! She'll wonder where Pikachu went!" Buizel said, already turning around in the direction of Glaceon's sleeping form. "I guess that someone will have to tell her…!"

"Okay, okay fine!" Pikachu complained, already on the sand of the beach at Buizel's mock threats. "No thanks for dragging me outta there!"

"Hey man, what's a Poké Bro for, huh?" Buizel asked, lightly punching Pikachu in the shoulder. "Come on, get your game face on! This is gonna be good!"

"You, think so?" Pikachu rubbed where Buizel jabbed him lightly.

"Why else do you think she actually broke the seal on her Poké Ball?" Buizel asked, incredulously.

"What does her cheering for me have to do with anything?" Pikachu asked, completely oblivious of the implications. He's never been in a Poké Ball long enough to figure out the kinks.

"Oh boy…' Buizel sighed. "Just make sure you bring that up, okay?"

"… Alright, fine," Pikachu said, screwing up his courage. "I'm going, just watch my back for me, kay?"

"No prob!" Buizel said, already running in the direction of the new Fire and Fighting type battle. "I'm still gonna grill ya for details later. Peace!"

Pikachu dumbly watched as Buizel left him out in the open, finally vulnerable to Glaceon, away from Torterra's branches. He looked behind him and saw that sure enough, Glaceon was taking a nap far from any of the other Pokémon. Pikachu couldn't help but wonder why, so he told himself to suck it up and began walking towards the Ice type.

"Alright… here goes…" Pikachu softly whispered to himself. He finally managed to approach Glaceon, but now that he was up close, he didn't really know where to begin. A whole bunch of questions flooded his head, not to mention he was seeing one of his best friends after a long long time. She seemed to have matured: her legs were leaner than ever, her fur coat had more sheen if that were even possible, and it looked so soft…

"Uh… Glaceon?" Pikachu asked, gently putting his paw on her back.

"Mmm…" Glaceon groggily mumbled. "Who is it?"

"It's me…" the mouse replied abashedly. "Uh, Pikachu?"

"Pikachu…?" Glaceon asked, slowly getting up from her slumber.

She got on her hind legs, stretched her back, and rubbed her eyelids with the back of her dark blue paw. When she finally opened her eyes, she saw a yellow mouse with red pouches on his cheeks and an awkward smile on his face.

"Pikachu! Pikachu, I can't believe it's you!" Glaceon exclaimed. "I couldn't find you anywhere! I was looking for forever! Where were you?"

"Yeah, uh, I was hanging around in… uh… Torterra's branches…?" Pikachu sheepishly admitted.

"What were you doing up there?" Glaceon wondered. It wouldn't have been her choice to stay considering dinner was served.

"I… uh…" Pikachu didn't want to admit to _that_.

"Were you hiding from me?" Glaceon asked with wide eyes. Seeing Pikachu's caught expression she replied, "Why would you do that? I'm your friend you know!"

"Ehh! I was just nervous about seeing you again, you know…" Pikachu rubbed the back of his ear in embarrassment. "Since last time anyway?"

"I… I missed you so much, Pikachu!" Glaceon said with hurt in her eyes. "Don't you ever do that to me again!"

"May I sit down with you?" Pikachu asked rather formally.

"Oh come on, you!" Glaceon wouldn't have any of that, so she smirked and jumped onto Pikachu's right ear, pulling him down to the ground next to her. "I don't bite!"

Pikachu chuckled lightly and sat next to Glaceon while she rested on the ground, belly to the sand. The two of them could see the fire fight between Blaziken and Infernape, but neither of them were really very interested. A few moments marched by and Glaceon didn't know where this was going. She coughed lightly to clear the air.

"So… why did you finally come here?" Glaceon asked in a coy voice. She laid on an extra silky tone and asked, "Did ya miss me that bad? Hmm?"

"I, uh," Pikachu idly began, watching Infernape slug Blaziken to the ground with a Mach Punch. "I wanted to thank you, Glaceon."

"Huh? Thank me? For what?" Glaceon asked. Regretfully she realized that she could've layered on any tone of voice and Pikachu wouldn't have known the difference. So much for sounding cute.

"Thanks for cheering me on today," Pikachu replied, watching Blaziken get back on her feet. "I really needed that."

"No problem!" Glaceon said, her tail swinging in the air behind her. "That's what I'm here for. But anybody could've done it, really, I just wanted to make sure you knew you had someone to support you. Other than Ash, anyway."

Glaceon wished she added more things to say, like she was happy to do it, that she wanted things to be like they always were, but the opportunity slipped away. She didn't like how their conversations always happened like that.

"No that's not what I meant though, Glaceon" Pikachu said, not reading between the lines. "What I meant was… I really liked hearing _your_ voice cheering me on. It helped me so much."

_What. What?_

"_My_… voice?" Glaceon asked. Against her will, her cheeks filled up with something very hot. She prayed Pikachu didn't notice.

"Yeah…" Pikachu said, still watching the match from afar.

"Oh I…" Glaceon tried to say something witty in response but all she could come up with was something stupidly simple. "You're welcome, Pikachu."

A dull silence fell upon the two Pokémon. Pikachu didn't mind, he was content with observing Infernape using Flamethrower and Blaziken using a Fire Punch to valiantly guard against the flames. Glaceon on the other hand was looking at the ground, wondering what to say next. She stole a look and noticed that Pikachu didn't look uncomfortable, and drew some courage from that.

"Hey Pikachu?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you come up with an answer yet?"

"An answer? For what? What do you me—oh I! Well, you know, it's, oh man…"

Glaceon looked to her left at Pikachu incredulously, and Pikachu finally stole a look on his right and saw Glaceon's upset, frustrated, and disbelieving face.

"So _that's_ why you were hiding from me? You didn't want to tell me an answer?" Glaceon asked intensely. This was absurd.

"No!" Pikachu replied, looking at Glaceon.

She held her gaze, not believing Pikachu for a second.

"I mean yes!"

'Okay, that's just insulting' was written all over Glaceon's face.

"Hey, come on!" Pikachu said, realizing he was digging himself a bottomless hole. "Gimme a break here! It was a loaded question! How was I supposed to know what you meant?"

"Pikachu, I'm the one who needs a break!" Glaceon replied, narrowing her eyes. "What part of 'Are we friends' do you not get?"

"But Glaceon, we're best friends, I thought you knew that!" Pikachu stated, with his paws facing outward and upward, trying to explain himself. "It just sounds like a dumb question to ask if we're already friends!"

"I know…" Glaceon said, looking away from Pikachu. The words sounded weird enough in her head, but to _say them out loud_? "It's just, these days I guess I've been thinking a lot. I guess what I meant was, are we, you know…"

"What?" Pikachu asked, looking at Glaceon who was focused on a particularly interesting spot of sand.

"Are we more than friends…?"

Pikachu blinked once. He thought the coast was clear.

"You mean like, _best_ best friends?"

That was definitely the wrong answer. The sound of Glaceon smacking her face with her tail could've whipped a prankster Banette into submission. Pikachu recoiled at the sound and put his paws up in surrender, hoping that Glaceon wouldn't suddenly shoot needles out of her fur or something.

"Pikachu…" Glaceon slowly spoke, her frustration dripping from each word. "I _swear…_ you are the densest Pokémon _on the planet_!"

"I, I'm sorry?" Pikachu said cautiously, glad he wasn't killed on the spot. "I didn't mean to! What did I do wrong?"

"It's alright," Glaceon sighed knowing that it couldn't be helped. "You are _Ash's_ Pokémon after all, forget it."

Pikachu didn't know what she meant by that. He relaxed his arms, knowing that he wouldn't have to defend himself from certain extermination, but he was still genuinely concerned. Obviously he'd said something that made Glaceon upset, but how could he know what it was? Glaceon slumped into the sand and resigned. She decided to count her blessings that at least Pikachu was here, but she couldn't wait for the day when Pikachu finally understood basic social skills.

"Speak of the devil," Glaceon said, noticing Ash coming to off to the side. "He's waking up from his coma right now."

Pikachu looked off into the distance and sure enough, Ash had already handed Lucario her sash back and started to stumble his way back to camp. Pikachu stood up, ready if Ash wanted to call him over.

"Since Ash is back, I guess you'll want to leave and go to him?" Glaceon asked tersely. "I won't mind."

_Of course I mind_, Glaceon couldn't help but thinking.

Pikachu looked to Ash, but then looked to Glaceon. Something about leaving her didn't sit well with the yellow mouse.

"Thanks, I guess, but do you mind if I just stay here? I'm not that hungry, and… it feels nice just sitting here with you."

Glaceon ears perked up, barely believing the words she heard. With an eager smile and a quick nod, Glaceon's heart fluttered as Pikachu sat down next to her again, allowing his warm body closer to hers. Glaceon took the opportunity to move closer to Pikachu. Emboldened by him not scooting away, Glaceon nuzzled her cheek into Pikachu's side. She quickly dropped back into sleep, a content smile on her face.

Pikachu couldn't help but notice the Snow Cloak Pokémon, with her cool body so close to his own—their fur mingling. Nobody had ever pressed into his side like that before, at least not outside of battle. It was weird, not a bad weird, but like a good weird. Pikachu wondered why he felt that way, whether the weird was caused by Glaceon's cool, soft fur that lightly tickled his side, or if the weird was his ears and face feeling hotter and hotter. Either way, Pikachu quickly decided that he didn't mind the new sensation. In fact, he welcomed it.

On that note he let his heart take a break from the marathon it spontaneously began and lay with Glaceon, side to side, slowly but surely drifting off to sleep just as she was.

* * *

_Author's Responses to the Reviews:_

**Queenie13:** I'm glad you're liking this roller coaster ride I've built! Ash as the reincarnation of Satoshi? That's a bold statement to make! Why would Riolu Ash be connected to him instead of real Ash? Haha I'm glad you're excited!

**Skeiron:** You know, I never actually thought about that! When I started writing this story, I certainly had no idea what kind of Ash I wanted to craft, but I certainly didn't want him to start out as super-mega-awesome-aura-dark-ash. That would be way too boring/cliché. I don't know what I'm gonna do with Ash's innocence. All I know is that those memories are going to haunt him. :)

**Slyfox:** Holy awesome batman? Nice, I gotta start using that. I'm glad you think this fan fiction is at least a little above the rank and file! I appreciate it!

**HikariGaijin:** As we talked, thank you once again for your slew of reviews! You are the most recent critic I've had for my story, and I definitely appreciate all of it, 110%. Once you do have everything pieced together, definitely let me know. I will no doubt explain this entire world by the very end in the Epilogue. So far I've seen two types of SonicBoom. One from Buizel, and one from Jesse's Yanmega. Yanmega has a clear air affiliated SonicBoom, but Buizel is colored blue and makes a splash during the battle with Maylene, that's why I assume the attack effects is based on Pokémon typing in the anime. I agree, the story only really starts around chapter 4/5, and that's one of my more flawed mistakes while crafting this story. I should've entered into the fray much sooner, but I've fleshed it out enough so it functions as a buildup.

**RandomGuy8:** AAI huh? I've never heard those words used in the same sentence to describe my work before! Sounds freaking cool! I'm glad to hear you're one of my regulars, I just hope that I will end up updating these chapters regularly, you know? So far I'm 4 for 23. Definitely get an account on ! It really helps me keep track of all the good stories out there. :P

* * *

_Dear __Readers,_

So I realized that I like to use ellipsis, which is the … that you see from time to time. It's strange, a lot of times adults ABUSE it, thinking that it portrays a pause in their speech. I on the other hand, think it's obnoxious and instead of showing a pause, it shows uncertainty. I use it mainly to portray hesitation and fear of rejection as opposed to solely used as a time manipulation technique. I've also found that at least the way I read stuff, if I read one ellipsis in one sentence, then I automatically read commas in adjacent sentences as somehow longer than commas, perhaps ellipsis in and of themselves. Just for some reason, actually using the … over… and over… and over… gets way too melodramatic and cheesy… don't you think…?

In other news, I have begun world building my own original story, a sort of dystopian novel that is an attempt to address the very nature of humanity itself. Instead of a dystopia, the main character lives in a utopia but believes that it is flawed. I will work on that probably for the next ten years. It shall be my magnum opus. When it's done, I'll be sure to mention this fan fiction in my work as well. I have also finished the plot for that shit as well! God knows if it will ever see the light of day.

* * *

_Story Notes:_

N/A

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

Uploaded, 09/19/12

| established Pikachu romance/characterized Glaceon/lead up to next chapter |

RE: edit. 02/11/13


	30. Crysis

**Chapter ****Twenty-One:**** Crysis**

In other news, Ash managed to find his way back to the festivities table without too much difficulty—his stomach did most of the navigating for him. Once he sat down and gave the group a basic, _heavily modified_ summary of his trip down memory lane, Cynthia immediately left the table and began apologizing to her Pokémon profusely. Now that that was taken care of, the only remaining thing to do was to explain the situation for tomorrow and fill Ash's belly with more food.

**[18:12****P.M.] ****Sunyshore City (Beach), ****Sinnoh Region **

"Who would've known that Cynthia cared so much about her Pokémon, especially by the way she battles?" Dawn wondered, astonished by how seriously Cynthia was approaching this whole Lucario matter. "You'd think she'd be so much tougher on them!"

"Plus, who would've known she had such vast knowledge about Pokémon Biology and medicine?" Brock added. "She really is something."

"Indeed…" Lucian agreed. "There's a reason why she's been the reigning Champion of Sinnoh for nearly a decade: her battle style is truly unmatched, her education is liberal but involved, and more importantly, her attitude off the battlefield is compassionate and genuine."

"Well," May coyly began. "Minus the whole awesome education part, I think after today that description sounds a lot like someone else we know!"

"Huh?" Ash couldn't help but overhear. "Wha?"

Brock, Dawn, and May all looked at each other, collectively rolled their eyes, and continued to finish their last bites of dinner.

"Oh nothing, Ash."

Moments later, Dawn looked up from her plate and announced Cynthia's return, turning all attention back on the champion. Cynthia waved everyone hello, took her seat next to Lucian and let her chin rest atop her folded hands. She seemed contemplative, but no longer anxious. Whatever happened between her and her Lucario must've been for the better.

"So, how did it go?" Lucian inquired.

"Better than I could have ever anticipated, actually. Ash…" Cynthia spoke softly, directing her attention diagonally across the table. "I don't know how to thank you. Lucario and I finally talked for the very first time, and she seems to be opening up now!"

"That is what I call progress!" Brock applauded. "What did you two talk about?"

"Well, first I apologized, saying that it was my fault that she feels so frustrated and unable to seek out her… you know, the love of her life. She forgave me for that," Cynthia sighed, thinking that it all must be so frustrating for Artemis to not communicate her story. "Then I promised her that I will do everything I can to help find this other Lucario. Now I can hope that we'll get through this and find who she's looking for."

Heads bobbed up and down in approval. By far, the news was as good as anyone could've hoped for. Cynthia wasn't finished.

"And you know, she even smiled at me for the first time," Cynthia grinned. "I can't thank you enough Ash!"

"Hey, I'm just really glad I could help!" Ash said, lucky that Cynthia caught him on an off-chew. "Some lucky break about that sash, huh? Although, I don't know if I'm ready for that many more visions all at once anytime soon."

"But you know something," Brock interjected. "What you've found out is truly extraordinary!"

"Huh?" Ash asked, already taking up another bite of grilled chicken.

"Pokémon have names!" Brock exclaimed. "Nobody's ever heard of that before!"

Suddenly the light bulbs went off all around the table. Indeed it was a strange thought. Not much research had been done on the subject of Pokémon interactions such that unique identifiers among individual Pokémon were known.

"That means even all of our Pokémon have names!" Brock continued. "How do we even find out what they are?"

This proved an even more puzzling prospect. Lucian ran some thoughts through his head but deferred to the only one who has any experience on the matter.

"Ash, it appears you know at least two Pokémon names, right? Artemis and Apollo, the two Lucario from the memory? What about any other names?"

"Uh…" Ash pondered. In a rare moment of table etiquette, Ash actually paused to finish his food before speaking. "I don't think so, just those!"

"Really?" Lucian asked with one eyebrow rising into his hairline. "You mean you don't know any names of the Pokémon you've caught?"

Ash looked into the upper right corners of his eye in thought, before munching on another bite.

"Nope!"

Lucian was actually completely surprised to hear that. He played one final card.

"Not even Pikachu?"

At that, it seemed like the batteries ran out on the clock of the universe and time just ground to a halt. All eyes bore into Ash's; each of them were so shocked to hear that between the great Ash and Pikachu, the trainer actually didn't even know the Pokémon's name. It didn't help that Ash also froze, mid bite. Ash quickly darted his eyes between Lucian, Cynthia, Flint, Brock, Dawn, and May, and realized how awkward that sounded.

_Ash didn't know Pikachu's name._

"Hey don't look at me like that! I've never asked!" he defended, continuing to munch on his chew.

"_Whaaat_?" Dawn asked in shock. "You'd think at least Ash Ketchum would know his best Pokémon's name right?"

Ash just shook his head.

"Well why don't you ask when he wakes up?" Dawn suggested, leaning over the table.

"Cause that would be weird!" Ash said, once again unknowingly showing bravado for the table manner cause. "I've known him for a really long time but I've never needed to call him by _name_! Besides, I don't think 'pika-pika' translates well into a normal name, right?"

That sounded like a good defense in his head.

"Now hold on a second, I've seen you two talk all the time!" Brock said, pointing his finger at Ash like at a trial. "When you two are at it, discussing strategy, during battle, or just having fun with each other, it's a no-brainer that you two understand each other perfectly! What do you mean you can't translate what's Pikachu's saying?"

"That's true," Lucian agreed. "Your prowess on the battlefield is quite superb. It's as if you two talk to each other in real time."

"And I've traveled with you for a while Ash!" Dawn interjected. "You can't fool me by saying Pika-speaka doesn't mean anything to you!"

Ash realized how badly he was making his case. His eyes darted in desperation, trying to see if anyone would rise to his defense. He looked over Cynthia, nope she was interested. Flint was grinning like he stole Christmas, so probably not him… Brock and Dawn were practically trying him for criminal charges, and Lucian brought up the whole thing! That only left May.

_May, please…! _Ash mentally begged.

She shrugged her shoulders.

_AWH MAN!_

"But… well, I… I," Ash stuttered. He looked around at the table again and resigned to just spewing out whatever came to mind. "Now hold on, you don't need to speak the same language as someone to be friends with them! The same thing goes for me and Pikachu!"

"Huh?" resounded around the table.

Cynthia too looked like her eyes had been sown onto her hairline, but she also found a slight smile curl up on one side of her lips. Ash might be onto something.

"Pikachu, he…" Ash spoke, remembering all the good memories he could think of as he did. "He's been my best friend for as long as I can remember. I don't know, I… I can't really explain it. When he's around, everything just feels right!"

The eyes relaxed around the table, so Ash continued.

"I know it's crazy since I only met him when I was ten, but… I feel like we've always been together," Ash said.

The next thought couldn't have been more of a retreat if Ash read it from a script.

"He and I are best friends and that's that," Ash said, crossing his arms like a boy who decided he's having ice cream for breakfast. "There's nothing more to it. We have a connection… we don't need words."

Flint, like the rest of the table, felt a muscle snap somewhere in the eyebrow region and a twitch around the eye lids. Ash couldn't have given a more lame response than that.

"Well that's just great!" Flint said, throwing his arms in the air. "Looks like we're back to square one! Nicknames and species name-calling just like always!"

"Man, and I was wondering if I could figure out Piplup's name!" Dawn lamented.

"Or my Onix back home…" Brock wondered. "If only Ash had any clue how good he's got it!"

"Oh well, it was worth a shot, right?" Cynthia sighed and let her head crash into her hand.

"Everything is worth a try, I suppose…" Lucian nodded solemnly, ready to segue into the more important, and delayed discussion of the evening. "Well, now that that's been cleaned up a tad; Cynthia, you ought to explain tomorrow's operation."

"Right. Okay," Cynthia said, clapping her hands together. "This is going to take a while. Could everyone clear their plates if they're finished? I've got to bring out the map."

Everyone except Ash went ahead and stacked their plates to one side of the table for dishwashing. Cynthia rummaged through her satchel bag and brought out a rather large roll of paper. With the newfound space, she unraveled the roll and spread it across the table. Putting cups and utensils out to flatten the edges, Cynthia began to explain.

"As I said earlier today during lunch, this operation is to liberate the Celestic Town Historical Research Center from Team Galactic, whom are currently conducting research on topics unknown."

"Is there a name for this operation?" Brock asked.

"On Flint's suggestion," Cynthia sighed, recalling the conversations she's had with her colleagues before. "I've decided on Operation: Libertad, simply because he's completely obsessed with making this mission sound like a spy movie."

"Hehehe, it's got a nice ring to it, eh?" Flint asked jovially.

"You owe me, so you can buy me ice cream afterwards, Flint," Cynthia said.

"Pff," Flint snorted. "Yeah, if you ever finally decide on a combination of flavors and don't bore the employees to death."

To Flint's smug satisfaction and Cynthia's consternation, sniggers ran amok throughout the table.

"Ignore the rudeness emanating from the peanut gallery please, so listen up," Cynthia spoke, adorning an authoritarian tone. "Libertad begins at five in the morning because we need to attack when the guards and leaders are at minimal alertness. It's about half past six o'clock right now, so we will need to leave Sunyshore soon in order to arrive in Celestic town tonight. Lucian is in charge of transport."

"More specifically, Alakazam and I," Lucian added.

"Right. So when we arrive in Celestic town, we'll sleep at my parent's house rather than the Pokémon Center. We'll be well rested by using Lucian's Alakazam's Kinesis attack to get shut eye immediately."

"We'll also get my Flareon to wake us up with Sunny Day if some of us can't get up," Flint added. "She's an early bird."

"Quite unlike yourself, Flint. I don't know how you two managed to become a team," Cynthia mused. "So after Flint's Pokémon wakes us up at around four thirty or so, the real operation begins five minutes to five. Now this is the really important part."

Cynthia looked up to each of the younger eyes in front of her, making sure they were paying attention. Even Ash slowed his chewing pace to a crawl, so Cynthia figured that meant that he was listening. Satisfied, she continued.

"There are three Teams: Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Team. Each has a specific function and will operate individually during most of the operation. Beta and Gamma are two-man teams while Alpha is three-manned, simply because we have an odd number of people. Each team will have an Elite member. Flint is assigned to Beta Team, Lucia to Gamma Team, and myself to Alpha Team."

"I _still_ think my team should've been named Alpha…" Flint pouted.

Cynthia lightly coughed to get Flint to keep the comments to himself, which in turn, Flint muttered a dark response that sounded something like the word 'unfair'.

"Back to what I was saying. Brock, you're with Lucian in Gamma Team. Dawn, as much as I hate pitting anyone with my illustrious Fire-type colleague, you'll be with Flint in Beta Team. Ash and May, you are on my Alpha Team. Each group, as I said, has a specific function. Even though we'll largely be separate by distance, we will all be working in collaboration with each other via radio waves."

Cynthia held up three of her fingers and counted down as she described the teams. "During the mission, Gamma's function is mostly reconnaissance and information gathering. Beta's function is Alpha's fail-safe, temporarily on standby. Finally, Alpha's job is infiltration. We're going to need everyone at their best for this to succeed."

Brock raised a quiet hand, which Cynthia immediately gestured for him to ask.

"When you say reconnaissance, how are we supposed to do that?" Brock asked.

"What do you mean fail-safe? Are we in danger?" Dawn piqued.

"What's infiltration?" May asked, her hand also in the air.

"When's breakfast?" Ash managed to speak out despite being on a full chew.

The entire group deadpanned.

"Oh man, Ash…" Cynthia sighed into her hand again. "Breakfast will be the reward after all this is over! Think of it as some motivation while we're going on with our operation. I'll explain everything.

"Reconnaissance is the art of gathering information on the enemy without the enemy being aware of us doing so," Cynthia continued. "Lucian specializes in Psychic types who are very capable of surveying a field for different things like sound, heat, or even electromagnetic waves without the use of instruments what would give away our position."

"I shall clarify further. Brock, since you're with me, listen very carefully," Lucian offered. "Our reconnaissance aspect of the mission has several primary objectives. We need to find out where the laboratory staff is, where central command is, where communications is, and where the security personnel is. That way, we can let Alpha know where the enemy is so that they can move around them undetected, and we can set up Beta to hit targets more effectively, which minimizes mission risk."

"I understand," Brock said. "By listening for sound and heat, we can locate where the guards are based on the readings we get, and we can find electronic targets by looking for electromagnetic waves. But that's incredible! I didn't know Psychics could see things in that much detail!"

"Well put, my friend. You have a sharp mind, and that's excellent," Lucian said, sincerely impressed with Brock's analytical skills. "You should know however that it takes a great deal of concentration in order to sync well with a Psychic type. That's precisely why you're on my team. I need a level-headed person to make this work"

"Yes sir. You can count on me," Brock nodded.

"Alrighty then, now that Gamma Team is settled in, let's move onto Beta Team: the fail-safe for Alpha Team," Cynthia said. "A fail-safe is a mechanism that's charged with making sure that if something goes wrong that jeopardizes the success of the mission, the fail safe can make sure the mission is completed by using less… covert means."

"_Much _less! Dawn, we're basically there to make sure we drive out Team Galactic even if Cynthia can't free the lab staff first without triggering the fire alarms," Flint enthusiastically explained. "If Cynthia gives the all clear, it's our job to go guns blazing and get to work cleaning house!"

"All… alright? I'm not sure I like the idea of guns blazing, but I'll do my best!" Dawn replied, though slightly unnerved at the idea of making a huge scene. "If it comes down to it, my Pokémon are perfect for giving your Pokémon defensive help. It'll be just like combinations in a contest!"

"Yep! And if you can put some sparks, stars, or whatever flair you can think of in there we'll be arriving in _style_!" Flint said, pumping his fist up.

"Sure! I mean, I just hope it doesn't come down to that," Dawn said tentatively.

"Eh, I guess," Flint shrugged. "I mean, so long as Cynthia doesn't screw up anything big while she's crawling through air vents we'll only be needed for the finale. You were saying something Cynthia?"

Cynthia wasn't entirely pleased with Flint practically implying that she'd mess up, but putting her fumes out at Flint's insubordination, she continued the explanation.

"_Anyway_, finally there's Alpha Team. We're supposed to do the infiltrating. Infiltrating is the art of actually getting inside of an enemy's stronghold without alerting them to our presence. In truth, it isn't really our job to take out Team Galactic immediately. We're just setting everything up within the Research Center to make driving them out easier. Instead of just marching through the front door, we'll enter the museum through air vents and untraveled passages, things like that. That way we won't get their attention. Can you do that?"

"Sure, Cynthia! Sounds like fun!" Ash replied, almost as eagerly as Flint had.

"Ash, you make things sound like a game!" May mock chastised Ash. "I think we'll be fine, but will we fit if we're going through vents?"

"Well," Cynthia said, grimacing at the thought of what was to come. "Let me just say I'm not wearing anything nice tomorrow and I'll probably want nothing more than a hot shower and ice cream when we're done. It'll get dark and cramped, but we'll fit."

"We can do this, right May?" Ash asked the girl next to him.

"Well Ash, with such confidence, how can I say no?" May replied. "We can do this!"

"Alright then. Now that I've gone over the teams, I'll have to go over the actual plan," Cynthia said. "Operation Libertad will be conducted in three phases. Phase One is dubbed '_Recon_', which will be mostly Gamma Team's phase. Phase Two is gonna be called '_Infiltrate_', a joint effort by Alpha Team and Gamma Team. Finally, Phase Three, for… lack of a better name, is '_Beat the Pants off Team Galactic_', which will be all groups at once working together. Trust me, I didn't name Phase Three."

Everyone knew to look at Flint for an answer. The Fire specialist Elite four was grinning from ear to ear.

"Anyways, at five minutes till five, we will use Lucian's Alakazam to teleport us to our respective starting points without any time lag. Here's a map of Celestic to demonstrate. Brock, Dawn, May, and Ash? Take a look."

"My parents' house is right here, and that's where we'll be sleeping tonight," Cynthia said, allowing all of the teens to gather round behind her to get a proper view of the cartography. "When we wake up, Alpha Team will open the hatch to the sewers and begin walking towards the museum while Beta and Gamma Teams are simultaneously teleported to the roof of one of the apartments south of the building."

Pointing at each area of the map respectfully, Cynthia continued.

"Immediately, Beta will get into cover so that nobody can see them while Gamma starts marking guards, electronics, and other points of interest on their map. This formally begins Phase One, and formally begins Operation Libertad.

"Phase One is the easiest of the three phases, unfortunately. While Alpha silently approaches the museum, Gamma basically updates the map. Gamma Team will give Alpha Team the updated map right before we enter the museum.

"Phase Two is where things get tricky. Alpha will have to open the sewer manhole closest to the air conditioning vents and make sure the guards don't notice. Then once Alpha is inside the vents, we have to release the museum staff so we have something like a small army to drive Team Galactic from the inside out. This will also help minimize collateral damage.

"The tricky thing is transporting the staff's Pokémon from wherever they're being held to the staff itself. Gamma will have to identify which room houses the Poké Balls and which room houses the staff. When that's finally done, Alpha will get into position, and then we'll initiate the staff's jailbreak. Phase Three will then begin.

"Correction, Cynth?" Flint suggested. "The free-for-all begins."

"I'd hate to admit it, but he's right," Cynthia rolled her eyes at Flint's antics but agreed. "There's no telling what will happen at that point. As it stands right now, Beta will begin the assault on the roof, Gamma will teleport wherever they want, while Alpha will begin flushing out Galactic wherever we can. From Phase Two onward, it's really ad lib. I don't know what to expect."

"Hmm," Brock mused, rubbing his chin in thought. "It's especially hard because the last time they were in Celestic they made off with the Adamant Orb with just a small invasion force. Who knows what kind of people they have dug in there?"

"Indeed Brock. That's exactly why I need all this help for this operation," Cynthia explained. "There's no way I could do this alone. If I tried, there's no doubt I'd either be captured or the entire museum would go up in smoke because I went overboard. Are you all willing to do this?"

"You bet," Flint nodded.

"Of course," Lucian calmly smiled.

"Definitely," Brock said.

"No need to worry!" Dawn said cheerfully.

"Let's do our best," May smirked with her game face on.

"Sure…" Ash tentatively agreed. "But can I _please_ finish my dinner first?"

Even more face palms and dead pans ran amok the group.

"I'll take that as a yes then!" Cynthia couldn't help but chuckle. "Alright, we'll let Ash finish up his dinner since he was helping me out with Lucario. Let's get cleaned up."

At that, everyone took their respective dirty dishes, bowls, pans, and utensils, and politely began washing them and putting them away. Within minutes, chores were finished, Pokémon were recalled, and Lucian began the slow process of teleporting everyone to Celestic Town. He could only transport a few at a time due to the strain on the Psychic mind.

It would be several more minutes before Ash finished his dinner, but by then everyone but May had already left to Celestic Town. In those calm moments before the storm, Ash could sense that tomorrow was going to be one of the most important days of his life.

"Team Galactic…" Ash whispered whilst finishing Brock's food. "You better watch out, cause we're coming to take you down!"

* * *

_Author's Responses to the Reviews:_

**RandomGuy8:** You're wowing at the update speed huh? You're in for a good surprise. :)

**SupernalGodzilla:** I reasoned along similar lines. You need supportive Pokémon matchups in order to cement human matchups.

**Swagnilla-Ice-1985:** Thanks for the support! I definitely need Pikachu and Glaceon together. I wonder if their relationship will last though.

**DavidShawnMichael:** Yeah, when I first wrote this story, I made the amateur mistake of putting Pokémon translations right next to regular human dialogue. It's awkward, hard to write, and simply un-Pokémon-like. They have their own culture.

**PhoenixLyric:** Holy thanks! Your praise for grammar is definitely one of my prouder aspects. I still have to iron out A LOT of fine English mistakes and dialogue placements. Yup. This is a multi-verse fic. Fortunately it's not a crossover. That would fry anyone's brain. I'm glad you like the character personalities! I still have to make them more distinguishable with their dialogue and emotions. I totally read fanfictions during my classes too! God it really helps to get through the hours.

**mercenaryflyer:** Yeah, I've always loved the idea of putting more oomph into the Pokémon characters. They have their own personalities, their own behavior, and even their own morals. Maybe I should make someone an emo and another guy a masochist. HAH. Kidding. Yup. Calm before the storm. TOTES.

**HikariGaijin:** To my first truly honest and tough critic. Thank you. Truly thank you for your reviews. We've already been back and forth about several topics and it has all been constructive, beneficial, and utterly necessary. It's hard to find honest critics, and so far you've been the first real one. Every chapter that had inconsistencies or serious errors were picked apart and served to me on a silver platter. On some things we disagree on, mostly the over-arching theory of everything, but I'm sure you're gonna be along for the ride.

-On the full re-edit, I'll be sure to get my genders right. God that'd be awkward in real life.

-For the chapter separations I'd recommend you have a look at the series Avatar: The Last Airbender, particularly episode "The Storm", S01E12. The entire episode is dedicated to back and forth sections between Aang and Zuko. Whilst the roughest episode in the series, it shows exactly why they continue that formula over and over again. The switch between scene helps to avoid addressing the unnecessary parts of the story like traveling for long distances on Appa, sleeping, or the change from one day to the next. That's why I use the scene narration system. It helps me to avoid the more boring parts of any real story.

-What does your EoT/D/S abbreviation stand for? I have no clue what you're talking about? _Now I do. Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky. Man I be retarded._

-Aura Guardian Satoshi isn't that Riolu, but you're on the right track about some sort of glitch in between universes. That's a recurring theme.

-Also, Ash isn't the only human who became a Pokémon. That will be an important part of the story.

-About the legendaries, there absolutely IS a bigger picture that unifies all of them into a beautiful picture. In fact, even the Unova legendaries are included in this story. I disagree with the Lati s duo being Yin and Yang. I have the Unova legendaries for that. Glad you're on board for the ride!

-I agree. I am putting Ash in a more mature light than usual in the anime. Unfortunately, I believe that this is the price of knowledge of energy control. I think Ash's story will closely mirror Naruto's progression. He knows when to get serious and also when not to.

-As of now, consider Ash's Aura completely _underdeveloped_. Ash isn't purposely extending his Aura out to his Pokémon or anything cool like that. Right now Ash is normal. Nothing unusual.

-Yah. There are a TON of grammar niceties I need to include. For now it's readable, just not perfect, and you're right. This story could use just a little bit of perfect grammar.

-You're also right about the timeline. Three years ago is way too far back. That was sloppy guesswork on my part.

* * *

_Dear __Readers,_

Aight, so last time I wrote this I was studying for a Cosmos exam, I aced that shit.

At any rate, the editing process is formally completed, and I will be uploading the new chapter as well. Thanks for reading through the updates if you've been doing that, and stay tuned for more as always!

**P.S. If any of you are artists and would like to make me a definitive cover art, I would love you forever. I'm comfortable where it is right now, but by GOD would I love something original. My strengths aren't in the visual arts at all, haha. If you're interested, please let me know in a PM or review! :D**

* * *

_Story Notes:_

N/A

* * *

_Author__'__s__Notes:_

Uploaded, 10/04/12

| finally explained Celestic takeover/provided map/advanceshipping to come next chapter/beginning the edit process, v1.3 |

RE: edit. 02/11/13


	31. Journey

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Journey**

This marks the end of my edits up to Chapter 22 or Chapter 24 on . I would appreciate it if you re-read the entire story up until now, some major edits have been made, but most have otherwise been cosmetic. The important chapters to read are:

Prologue – updated Legend

Title Page and Forward – updated Forward

Legend Maker – updated Legend

Chain of Memories – updated History

The Pokémon world truly has many things to offer. When man first began interacting with Pokémon, the only available goods for consumption were berries, vegetables, and the occasional fresh water. Over time, man began to experiment with their drinks, eventually creating gimmicks like Lemonade, Soda Pop, and even tea. It wasn't until one happy, fortunate accident that Moomoo Milk was stumbled upon, and immediately made a mainstay beverage of choice for millions of sentient beings everywhere. Perhaps regrettably, Team Rocket is included in this smorgasbord of sentient beings.

It was remarkable, really. Even _if_ the employees of the quaint tea house (on the upward sloping path to Celestic Town) remained past their five o'clock shifts, _nobody_ would've noticed the trio of thieves slowly crawling through the ceiling skeleton above the roof. For all intents and purposes, Jesse, James, and Meowth successfully engaged Operation: Miltank.

Nothing was amiss.

**[20:12 P.M.] Route 210 (Café Cabin), Sinnoh Region **

"Come on," Meowth lightly whispered to his cohorts behind him. "We have ta get movin' if we're ever going ta catch dose twoips! Watch your head!"

Meowth quickly managed to crawl his way across various nodes of metal and synthesized tile within the roof whilst warning his teammates of any obstacles. James followed suit, mirroring his movement across the different bolts, bars and tiles, closely pursued by Jesse. James had more to worry about, for he was carrying a rather lengthy but sturdy rope around his shoulder. Meowth was merely making sure to carefully tread first, testing the path for a safe way to cross. Jesse made sure James wouldn't fall should the supports give way.

"Thanks Meowth…" James said as he gymnastically swung his feet into the air before landing lightly on the next set of bolts. "I just don't see why we have to keep following those guys. After getting blasted through the roof of that gym building I don't know how much more of this I can take!"

Jesse grasped her gloved hands around one of the supports and similarly swung herself onto the next step. She landed nearly without a sound and continued in James' wake.

"You will take as much as you need to and that's final!" Jesse said tersely. "We need to capture that Pikachu and we also need to take Team Galactic down! Under the Boss' jurisdiction there's absolutely no room for faliure!"

"And the best way to do that—!" James added with another swing to the next bolt. "—is to follow the twerps to Celestica Town, I know!"

"Good," Jesse said with another soft landing. "I don't like it any more than you do James, but for now we have to deal with it. We'll get there, we just need to keep our heads high and in the game. We'll steal that Pikachu and rip those fashion freaks a new one for sure."

"Youse two better quit your yappin' or we'll never get to nabbin' dis grub!" Meowth snapped, raised his paw up in a clenched fist up ahead to signal a full stop.

James landed neatly next to Meowth and Jesse quickly followed. Once Meowth saw the two next to him, he carefully removed the square synthetic tile to reveal the tea shop's wares below. They were perfectly placed just behind the bar near the refrigerator. James removed the rope, slowly unraveled it, and handed one of the loose ends to Jesse. With split second precision, Jesse, James, and Meowth all looked at each other quickly, gave a quick nod, and began the operation.

Meowth quickly stuck his extended claw into the motion sensor to prevent the dial from picking up any vibrations while Jesse simultaneously dove down to the ground feet first, anchored in place by James. Once Jesse reached the end of the rope, she quickly dismantled and landed on the ground safely, sparing James any pressure.

Jesse snapped her hair in place, scoped out the store, and strode over to the refrigerator confidently and purposely. Knowing that this was just a small time mom-and-pop store, she knew the most accessible refrigerator would not have any locks in place. With a quick open and swipe of three Moomoo Milk bottles, Jesse walked back to the rope and gave it a quick tug.

As James slowly but steadily hoisted Jesse vertically up, she grabbed one of the paper take-out bags and placed the three bottles inside. When she was finally above ceiling level, Meowth removed his single claw from the motion sensor and replaced the tile on the tile where it belonged.

With a simple retrace of their steps, the trio snuck out of the tea shop, inhaled the fresh air of freedom, and popped the caps on their spoils. A warm-hearted toast of cold Moomoo Milk later, the three inflated their iconic Meowth balloon, climbed inside, and continued their trek towards Celestic Town.

Nothing was amiss.

**[18:59****P.M.]****Sunyshore City (Beach),****Sinnoh Region **

Lucian was a world class Psychic. He could command his team to battle with grace and ruthless efficiency simply by thinking. Like Sabrina, he was even capable of simple telekinetic manipulation. That didn't mean that his training was infallible. His Alakazam still needed the rest in between teleports of unfamiliar bodies, so that left Ash and May behind. They were last in the queue to get teleported. Luckily for Ash, May volunteered to stay behind and babysit while he finished dinner.

Boy did it feel like babysitting. May put the last washed bowl into her backpack for transport and decided to sit across from Ash and the fireplace on the sand. Brock insisted that Ash could finish his dinner without a foldable table, so he finished his last chow across a smoldering bonfire. As May sat down, Ash looked up with a smile—a crooked one, considering all the food stuffed in it.

"Ah man," Ash rudely mumbled out. "Warm or cohld, Bwock's rife ball donuphs are da beft!

"Haha well, it's such a good change from lukewarm Ramen every night, if you ask me!" May couldn't help but chuckle lightly. "I like the taste, but they get old after a while."

With an emphatic nod, Ash finished up his last few chews.

"Hey May?"

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Thanks for waiting for me!" Ash said, getting up to wash his bowl with the last fresh water. "You know you didn't have to."

"Oh no, it's alright," May said, still relaxing on the sand. "Alakazam would've been more tired if I went along with the last guys, and I kinda enjoy your company!"

"Kina, huh? Haha, so do I," Ash joked, scrubbing his bowl rather diligently. "It's been a while since we really got to talk, you know?"

"I'm sorry about that!" May said, bringing her knees close and hugging them. "It's not my fault you're on Route two hundred-something while I'm in a city! It's hard to get in contact with a Pokémon trainer who's moving all the time."

"Hey, I'm not gonna blame you for that," Ash said apologetically. "I'm just really glad to see you. For real, you know?"

"Yeah…" May said, her voice trailing off.

Ash pulled the clean bowl out of the cleaning tub and dried it off before putting it away in his backpack. He picked up the cleaning tub and threw all the old water out onto the fire pit, extinguishing all but the most stubborn coals. After drying that he put it away as well.

"You finished up yet?" May asked.

"Yep! I'm gonna start recalling everybody," Ash said, wiping his wet hands on his jeans. "Wanna come with?"

"Sure!" May said, also wiping the sand off her rear and legs before joining Ash on their recalling excursion.

It wasn't long before the two stumbled upon their team of battlers and contest participants. Their first stop came upon the collectively napping group with Torterra and Venusaur most prominent.

"Hey, there's Munchlax!" May said, crouching down to lovingly stroke his ears. "You probably ate too much again, didn't you!"

"And there's Wartortle!" Ash said, noticing the Water type Turtle Pokémon slumped against Torterra. "She seems pretty full too. I guess something never change, do they?"

"I guess not. Maybe that's a good thing?" May supposed. "Alright you two, return!"

After the red glow faded away, May looked up into Torterra's newly formed growth and noticed a certain Normal and Flying type perched inside.

"Hey, isn't that your Staraptor, Ash?"

"Yeah, but why's Staraptor up in Torterra's tree?" Ash asked, noticing his Pokémon comfortably snoozing away.

"Didn't you listen to your PokéDex?" May asked. "His tree makes a great perching spot for flying Pokémon, don't you think?"

"Like your Beautifly!" Ash suggested, noticing May's Bug and Flying type similarly snoozing away within Torterra's branches. "Looks like your Venusaur is also pretty tired. Staraptor, Torterra return!"

"Venusaur, Beautifly, return!"

Just as Ash and May contracted their respective Poké Balls and stowed them away, the two of them noticed heat waves and flashes of orange-red flying just a short distance away. Ash quickly turned to the source and found a certain duo of Fire and Fighting types battling each other with burning intensity.

"Hey," Ash exclaimed. "Is Blaziken and Infernape fighting? Break it up you two!"

May and Ash both ran over to the source of the battle only to see Infernape and Blaziken continuing to trade blows with one another. Infernape threw a slew of punches only to be skillfully blocked by Blaziken's quick roundhouse kicks. Only May seemed to notice Buizel calmly sitting in the middle of the two of them, arms crossed, and meditatively watching the battle continue.

"Oh Ash, don't be so quick to judge!" May said, putting her hand on Ash's shoulder. "I think it's just a friendly competition!"

"Oh…" Ash said, realizing that the two Pokémon had smirking, rival-worthy smiles on their faces. "In that case, go Infernape! Give em' the one-two punch!"

"Hah," May joined in. "Beat him Blaziken! Use your Flamethrower!"

At that, Infernape and Blaziken traded even more blows, tit for tat. Infernape swung a right hook which Blaziken swatted away. Then Blaziken twisted her hip on one side and angled herself for a final roundhouse kick, which Infernape blocked with his forearm. The two jumped away and arched their necks for a Flamethrower attack. The flames met in the center with such intensity that the two trainers even had to shield their eyes.

"You know, my Infernape is pretty fast!" Ash said tauntingly. On cue, Infernape launched himself in a Mach Punch attack.

Blaziken then sidestepped to Infernape's right, avoiding his fist entirely and allowing Infernape to run past Blaziken a meter. By the time Infernape turned around to face his opponent, the feathered Fire-Fighting type dropped down to the ground and swung her leg in a circle, knocking Infernape off his feet, quickly followed by a swift back kick to his chest, too cool to look at the impact. Infernape landed on the sand, unable to get up for a counter attack.

"Ha! Not fast enough it seems!" May taunted just as Buizel flagged Blaziken as the winner and Infernape as the loser.

"No fair, my Infernape is all worn out from a gym battle!" Ash retorted as he ran over to Infernape to help him up. "My Infernape could take you guys, hands down!"

"Is that a challenge, Ash?" May smirked as she pulled Blaziken's Poké Ball out.

"Definitely, May," Ash responded, also brining out Infernape's Poké Ball.

"You know, if it wasn't so late at night, I'd accept that challenge in a heartbeat," May said. "Come on, we need to find the rest of our Pokémon. Blaziken, return!"

"Fine, but I'll battle you one day yet!" Ash said enthusiastically. "Infernape, return! Buizel, can I ask you to come with me to hose down the fire and Pikachu's food bowl? I don't want to get in trouble for leaving an open fire."

"Bu, bui!"

"Hey May, could you tell Pikachu I've got his food? I need to put out the fire."

"Alright Ash, I'll find Pikachu for ya," May responded. "Hopefully Glaceon will turn up too."

The two teens went off in different directions, Ash towards the ember fire and May towards the two sleeping Pokémon. When May reached the sleeping forms of Pikachu and Glaceon, she was tempted to wake them abruptly, but she couldn't help but admire the peaceful expressions on their faces.

"Aww… they look so cute together!" May softly said and squealed on the inside. She knew that they would be getting plenty of rest together at Cynthia's house anyway, so she lightly nudged Glaceon awake.

"Glaceon?" May said, lightly rocking the Ice Type's sleeping form from side to side. "Hey, Glaceon?"

Soon enough, Glaceon ruffled her fur, stretched herself, and wiped her eyes with the back of her paw.

"Glai!"

"Had a nice nap?" May smiling coyly at Glaceon. She cocked her head to the side in Pikachu's direction, heavily hinting at her Pokémon's great fortune.

"I see Pikachu was happy to see you!" May cooed in a singsong voice. Glaceon blushed lightly, only serving to widen May's smile. "Everything okay?"

Glaceon nodded very happily, and proceeded to wake Pikachu up gently. It took her a few moments to get him going thanks to Pikachu's heavy sleeping tendencies.

"Pi?" Pikachu asked groggily, sparing no effort to hide his enormous yawn.

"Morning Pikachu! You had a nice nap too?" May asked.

"Chaaa!" Pikachu smacked with a wide stretch. Almost immediately, a loud rumble issued from his tummy. "Pi pi pi…"

"Ash thought you might be hungry," May smiled knowingly. "He wanted me to let you know he's got some food waiting for you!"

"Pikapi, pikachu!" Pikachu eagerly chirped, already running in the direction of his trainer. Glaceon couldn't help but let out a frosty mist sigh at Pikachu's antics, and May couldn't help but shake her head at the resemblance between Ash and his Pokémon.

"Well, it's a start, right Glaceon?" May conceded knowingly at her youngest. Glaceon nodded in exasperation before running after Pikachu.

"At least your start with Pikachu was better than my start with Drew…" May softly said to herself. At those trigger words, she couldn't help but contemplate just what on Earth happened to her the past few days as she watched Glaceon chase after Pikachu.

_Drew_… w_hat happened between us?_ she thought to herself._ What was I to you? Why would you spend all that time with me, just to turn your back on it all? When can I stop thinking about you? Will I ever get out of this mess?_

All May knew at that moment was terrible sadness. She realized that she had no idea what she meant to the green-haired coordinator from LaRousse City. Worse, she realized that she had no idea why Drew would even hang out with her, train with her, then take her out in the evenings just to abandon the whole thing. Even more importantly, she realized that she couldn't stop thinking about that coordinator. What she didn't realize was that she was subconsciously walking back to where Ash was, her head hanging low and her eyes gleaming with melancholy in the moonlight.

"Buizel, return! Hey May, we're just about ready to go! Are you…" Ash asked, changing his tone when he noticed May shuffling her feet back to the fireplace. "May, are you alright?"

No response. May just sat herself near the now-extinguished fireplace and hugged her knees tightly. Ash was still standing, watching May's sudden change in demeanor.

"May?" Ash asked with a little more force. "Are you okay?"

"What? Oh… I," May responded quickly out of surprise. "No, not really I guess."

"What's wrong?" Ash asked.

May hesitated a little bit before speaking again.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure May!" Ash replied, taking the opportunity to sit next to her. "You can ask me anything."

May couldn't help but notice Pikachu munching away out of an Electric type food can and Glaceon apparently urging him to slow down. She attempted to form the words inside her head before asking Ash. She didn't quite know how to say the words right.

"Is it _really_ alright that I join up with you guys on your journey?" May asked slowly. She couldn't look at Ash as she asked out of fear of his answer.

"Of course it's okay, May!" Ash replied, looking to his right at her. "How many times do I have to tell ya? You're always welcome to travel with us, wherever we are!"

"That's really a relief," May said, smiling at Ash's enthusiasm. "I know it sounds stupid to hear me ask, but it makes me feel a lot better to hear you…"

"May, you're practically family after what we've been through. Why would you think that we wouldn't want you around?" Ash asked, genuinely surprised with May's words. "But why did you come back? Didn't you have fun in Johto?"

"I don't know Ash…" May said, letting go of her knees and leaning back onto the beach. "I didn't travel with anyone so I was alone for most of my journey. Sometimes the thought of the next contest was the only thing to get me going in the morning. I can't even remember the last time I had fun there."

"I guess I never realized it was that rough," Ash said, ashamedly. Just as May had done, he hugged his knees and couldn't quite meet her eyes. "I'm sorry we split up after the Battle Frontier. I should've gone with you."

"Don't apologize, Ash!" May rebutted quickly, countering Ash's assumptions. "I agreed with you, after all. It's not your fault."

"I guess…" Ash said, not entirely believing himself as he said so.

The sun had already set and the stars had begun their stage call from the black expanse. The nearly full moon had waxed to about three fourths, and the brightest stars already began twinkling. There was barely even any light pollution considering Sunyshore's rules and dependency on solar light for energy. All of the city lights had been extinguished. By anyone's account, this starry sky was a truly spectacular sight.

"Hey, May?" Ash asked suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"At lunch, we asked about what happened in Johto, and you said something," Ash said. Now it was his turn to hesitate. He looked to his right to find May looking back at him. "What did Brock mean when he said 'is it personal'?"

"Oh…" May said, not sure quite how to continue. She wanted to explain herself, but the words wouldn't come out. "I…"

"What?" Ash asked, his eyes unwavering.

"You see, I uh… I met up with Drew in Olivine City a few weeks after I came back from the Wallace Cup," May said slowly, turning her head directly in front of her again.

"Drew? What did he want?" Ash asked, watching May's expression tighten into a frown.

"Well when I met up with him, he had all five of the Johto ribbons for the Grand Festival, typical Drew," she described. "He decided to help me get my fourth ribbon in the Olivine contest, so he and I… we started traveling together."

May paused for a little while. Ash looked straight ahead of himself just as May was doing. He never really took a liking to Drew, but he never had any reservations about the green-haired kid. He was pompous, sure, but also a very talented coordinator. They got along, but Ash knew that Drew was a different kind of person. Now Ash listened trying not to assume anything.

"It was fun for a few weeks! Almost every night he would take me out to places and he kept saying all these really sweet and thoughtful things. I really had a good time with him…" May said, speaking with words laced with regret. "It was great while it lasted."

"Were you… happy?" Ash asked.

"I… I don't know. At first I was just glad to have someone travel with me. Then when he and I would do stuff together, I was glad that we had so much fun. And now that he's gone… I don't know!"

"Gone? What happened, May?" Ash asked. This didn't sound like the Drew he knew.

"I thought he was serious about me, that he wanted to stay with me and travel together, but he didn't. He didn't want to be with me…" May said, feeling something strong grab at her insides and squeeze tight.

"When did this happen?" Ash asked, looking at May with concern.

"Right after the last contest… he just left me there," May said sadly. "He had already met up with Solidad after she won."

Ash frowned at the sound of that. He couldn't help but notice May went back to hugging her knees tight.

"He said they had already been t-together, that he was just flirting with me…"

Ash couldn't bear to hear the pain in May's voice. What on earth was Drew thinking? Drew was supposed to be one of May's best friends and her greatest rival! To think that he was just using May just to _flirt_ with her made Ash feel something also tug at his chest and made him very upset. Why would he do something like this?

"He acted like he _c-cared_!"

Nobody would've missed the depression in her voice. It would've been clear to anyone that this was something both hard and completely new for the Pokémon Coordinator. If only things didn't have to be so difficult. It was clear that May was trying to keep her composure, to tell her story without any hint of emotional entanglement, but the more and more she paused, the more it was obvious that she couldn't take it any longer. A single drop escaped her eyes.

"And I _fell for it_!"

At this point there was no holding back. May let her tears fall freely into her lap. She buried her forehead into her knees and squeezed hard on them, but the tears kept coming. She tried to wipe them away but the flood seemed endless and the sobs issued still. Still sitting next to Ash on the sand, May became lost in her own memories.

"I w-wanted to be m-more than friends, but he… he…!"

Ash looked to his side at the Pokémon coordinator. What usually was a vibrant, young spark of life suddenly crashed into sobs, tears, and total sadness. The change was unbearable, especially May's cries despite the calmness of the night and the soothing of the ocean not far away.

Moreover, Ash felt a whole bunch of emotions running through his head. Sympathy, disgust, betrayal, but then something even he didn't expect. _Anger_. He was angry over what Drew did to May. He couldn't bear the sight. He had to do something to make things right, but what? Nothing came to mind.

"May, I… I don't know what to sa—"

"_Glai!_" a whisper sounded to Ash's other side.

Immediately, the Pokémon Trainer looked to his left to see two exasperated expressions on Glaceon and Pikachu's face. Realizing she had his attention, Glaceon shoved her paw at Pikachu with a stern expression, obviously ordering him to do something. Stunned by Glaceon's fierce newfound attitude, Pikachu jumped back in shock, only to submit to Glaceon's seriousness. On direction, Pikachu rolled his eyes and sat on the ground, pulling his tail close and hugging it tightly. Glaceon then stood on her hind legs, waddled over to Pikachu and placed her paws around his shoulder in a consoling fashion. Then she looked directly at Ash.

"_Huh?_" Ash whispered.

Glaceon face pawed at Ash's ineptitude and furiously started pointing with her paw. She first pointed her paw at May sitting on the sand, then to Pikachu in the same position. Likewise, she pointed her paw at Ash who was bewildered for what to do, then at herself. She wrapped her arms around Pikachu's shoulder again just to double check that Ash got the message.

"You want me to —?" Ash quietly asked the Ice Type.

She nodded.

"Are you sure…?_ But I don't know how to—!_"

"_Glai!_"

"_Alright, alright! _Fine!"

Nervously, Ash gathered his courage and stood up from the sand. With an air push from Glaceon and a shrug from Pikachu, Ash slowly but surely made his way to May's compact form. As he dropped to his knees next to her torso, he couldn't help but feel something stir in his chest. Instead of sympathy or rage, it felt like a longing. Like something was pulling his hand automatically toward May's shoulder. When his hand was nearly over her neck Ash looked back to Glaceon to figure out which shoulder to put it on.

"I'm so sorry Ash, I… I just didn't know what to do! I'm sorry I came back!"

Pikachu made a grimace to show that he wasn't in charge of this and Glaceon made quick tapping movements on Pikachu's right shoulder. For Ash, that somehow translated into aiming for May's left shoulder. Glaceon's eye twitched once again at how poorly Ash was at using mirror movements, but she was glad to see Ash at least attempting diplomacy. What she didn't expect was how far he'd go to comfort her trainer.

"If you don't want me here, I… I understand! I'll go, I'll run away, I'll—Ash?"

She suddenly felt something resting on her shoulder, something warm. She looked up to find Ash resting with his knees in the sand, his tailbone on this ankles, and a sad but comforting expression on his face. He lightly squeezed May's shoulder to show that he was there for her.

"Ash… you?"

Silence settled upon May's pained cries. Instead of sounds of heartbreak and despair, the comforting white noise of waves filled its place. Ash looked upon May and saw her swollen, red eyes filled with sadness and regret, but resolved to fill those eyes with happiness and wonder again. There was no doubt that he had no idea where to go with this, but there was no doubt he'd give cheering May up his best shot.

"May… I," Ash began. "I don't know what to say. It's not right though, being left alone like that, abandoned. Nobody has ever done that to me, not since…"

"Look, it's alright May. It's alright," Ash comforted the girl. He paused at length to prepare himself for what he wanted to tell her. "I guess what I'm trying to say is _thanks_ for talking to me about what's going on. At least now I know why you wanted to come back."

May's tears thankfully came to a close so she wiped her puffy eyes with the back of her glove. When Ash was satisfied that she'd calmed down enough to hear him out, he hesitantly continued.

"I… I know what you're going through."

"What?" May asked quickly. At his empathetic statement, May looked back at Ash with curiosity and sadness in her eyes. Dozens of thoughts went through her head but she couldn't guess what was troubling him. "What happened?"

"I try not to think about it. In fact, I… I _haven't_ thought about it since I left Pallet Town. I guess it's one of the big reasons I left in the first place," Ash confessed. He dropped his hand from May's shoulder and returned it to his lap. But instead of relaxing Ash, his hands tightened into fists.

"Right before I turned nine, my mom told me something that I would never forget," Ash began, the thickness of forgotten history leaking into his voice. "She told me once that she met this guy; he was sweet, caring, and attractive… but suddenly it all turned sour. They started fighting, got into arguments, and finally… he left her."

"She said she felt betrayed," Ash spat. His eyes were filled with rage. "She said that he loved him, she said that he wanted to be happy with her, but I saw what happened to all of that. That man didn't feel the same way so he left… y mom cried for weeks."

"That's… that's exactly how I feel!" May gasped in surprise. "Who was he? Was he her boyfriend?"

"He was… he was my father," Ash croaked.

"Your _father_?" May asked in shock.

"Yeah…" the young boy nodded reluctantly. "And I'm his son."

Were it not for the peacefulness of the beach, he would've snapped. Ash was beside himself with rage, his mind filled with anger. He felt something evil grip inside his chest and tear at it, his lips quivering with regret. The only thing keeping him in check was his duty to help May—he didn't expect these memories to overtake them like they would, he didn't anticipate having to relive those horrible moments, but he did. He remembered when his mom ran after the despicable fellow, he remembered front door slamming in his face, and he remembered when his mom came home hours later, soaked in rain, and drowning in sorrow.

"May…" Ash began, his voice thick with resolve and laden with purpose. "If Drew was anything like my father, you must be in so much pain! If you feel anything like how my mom did, I swear I'll never forgive him!"

May was beside herself with shock. She couldn't believe the words that she was hearing, not just the severity of them, but the fact that he was saying these things. She nearly had to re-confirm that it was _Ash Ketchum_ she was talking to.

"So you… you don't think badly of me?" May asked. "You really don't want me to leave?"

"May, of course not! Why would I think badly of you?" Ash replied fiercely. "Of anyone it's Drew I'm thinking badly of right now! He could've made you end up like my mom, all alone in the world with nobody except her confused son! Why would anyone think badly of you?"

"I don't know Ash," May murmured. "I just don't know."

"May… look at me?"

"Yeah?"

"Listen to me May," Ash urged. "I would never, ever think badly of you—no matter what happens. I just want you to be okay, not hurt like this!"

"Ash…"

"Look, I don't know exactly what Drew did," Ash admitted. "But if his actions only ended up getting you like this, then you did the right thing by leaving him and coming back here.

"My mom once said that there are some men out there who think that all they have to do is have fun in life and that everything will be okay. If Drew is _anything_ like that, then all he would've done is hurt you more than you are already," Ash said with ice in his voice.

"My father was like that, and all he ended up doing was hurt my mom. He hurt her so bad…" Ash said absentmindedly. "I guess every time she sees me… she's reminded of the pain he caused her. I… I just hope I don't end up anything like him."

"Ash, I," May whispered, at a loss for words. "I don't know what to say!"

"You don't have to say anything, May," Ash supplied. "You're my best friend. No matter what happens, I'll always be here for you. No matter what, I'll be here till the very end."

May looked up at Ash to her left and Ash met her gaze. Sky sapphire eyes met auburn ruby eyes, and the two of them realized that they had an unbreakable bond with each other. Ash's words were as true as the Sun's orbit in the heavens.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

At that, May lunged towards Ash and he caught her in haste. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and after a few moments Ash reciprocated and pulled her close. The two remained that way for some time, feeling each other's clothing and skin mingle, listening to the waves wash old footprints away for a new canvas of opportunity.

"Thank you… Ash."

"Any… anytime, May."

A few moments passed in peace, but Ash's mind was anything but. He moved his hand back and forth over May's back comfortingly, admiring her softness and the sweet smell of her hair. He asked himself savagely who could hurt such a perfect girl and still have a conscience. Needless to say he resolved to make everything right as best he could. Eventually he and May pulled out from each other's arms and the two of them helped each other on their feet.

"Thanks for listening to me, Ash," May said, wiping the last of her sorrows away. "I feel better already."

"You're welcome, May," Ash offered, happy to hear that her heart's spirit was lifting. "I'm glad to hear I helped, even if it's just a little bit."

"Just, you know, don't say anything about this to anyone yet?" May cautioned. "I still need to sort some things out."

"That's fine, May," Ash agreed. "Um, could you also not mention my father to anyone? I still haven't really come to terms with the whole thing."

"No problem…" May consented. She looked to the sand, pondering how to say something. "Hey Ash?"

"Yeah?" Ash asked hesitantly.

"You know you're nothing like Drew, right?" May suggested.

"I…" Ash responded unexpectedly. "I…"

"It's true," May smiled. She couldn't help but add the last bit for emphasis. It wasn't fair that she'd be the only one who received help today.

"And I don't think you ended up like your dad."

Ash looked into May's eyes, hearing the genuineness of May's words. His eyebrows softened and his mouth opened slightly in shock.

"..."

"Thanks May."

Knowing that she returned Ash's help back, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a special token object of her friendship. Ash saw her take the small left half of the Terracotta Ribbon and he instantly reached into his vest for his right half. Together they held the objects together, completing each other's missing half.

Off to the side, Glaceon couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief that her ploy of comfort had worked out while Pikachu was still rather unknowing. A few accusatory/explanatory paw jabs later, the two of them reached an understanding and climbed onto their trainer's shoulders to complete the moment. It was only when Lucian and Alakazam teleported into their midst, that they broke the ribbon once more, realizing that they hadn't even finished packing the plates and utensils yet. Hasty apologies and a packed bag later, Lucian, Alakazam, Pikachu, Glaceon, May, and Ash teleported to Celestic Town, finally prepared do deliver more justice to the world.

* * *

_Author's Responses to the Reviews:_

**DavidShawnMichael:** Yeah, speaking of Pikachu's name, I'm not going to make it something weird like Alfalfa or something too common like Alex. That would be cliché to the nth degree.

**SupernalGodzilla:** Haha, I agree that PikachuxGlaceon does sound corny and strange, but I remember back in the AG days that many liked the idea of PikachuxEevee. I sort of ran with that, plus it'll help Ash and May quite a bit.

**HikariGaijin:** Thanks for your words of comfort! It's strange that you say that the last chapter sounded forced because it was actually one of the easiest to write. Weird, right? If there was anything that sounded off, definitely let me know so I can improve it. Oh people telling me to hurry the hell up is actually a good thing. If I did my job, people probably wouldn't be telling me that, right? :p

**Demonbloodfeeder:** I feel like demon bood is probably unhealthy? Should switch up your diet some. I've thought about brining back some Pokémon to re-inforce Ash, but the way I see it, he can only command a few at a time, plus I'd have to add an exception to the carry six rule. I do plan on bringing some Pokémon back.

**SailorSea:** I'm glad you thought the crowd was a good touch! For me it was a pain to keep mentioning them, but I think it was a good step to bring excitement to the battle scene. I'm all over Aura and stuff, I don't think about much else when I think Pokémon lore.

**razska'spromise:** Oh those three are definitely going to form a closer bond, but that'll probably happen in 20 chapters or so. OH YEAH ITS THAT LONG.

**Basic Trainer:** Yeah, the Johto lore is a bit tricky because some think that Ho-Oh and Lugia are just opposites. I'm inclined to think differently, kind of how Kyogre and Groudon aren't necessarily opposites: you find Pokémon/life on land and in the sea.

**Rodrigo Perez:** Thanks for the compliments about description! I confess I've never actually read Chrono Break or Trigger. Don't you worry about Aura, I'll explain everything in a-z detail during the last chapter. It'll be good. About the Original Story and all other Pokémon legends, I am HUGELY AGAINST editing or adding lines to the original text. I'm okay with writing a new legend, but not editing the original. My challenge is to take everything as-is and draw conclusions from them. Yeah, I don't think I'm gonna make this story heavily on romance, and I do intend on adding Misty to the mix. Don't you think Ash still has feelings about her too? Yeah man, I write for the sake of making a story. Stories are what drive the world and they help motivate us in ways we don't even understand. I see life as a quest to make stories: our own stories, stories of others, and stories of the past. Why do we drink and party? So we can tell our friends stories about that evening! :p

**BlazeTrigger21:** Good to hear you're enjoying yourself! I mean, Ash's stomach isn't a huge focus, but I need to keep that trait about him. I can remember Ash's stomach mentioned in practically every movie to date (think about Keldeo and the bento lunchboxes), maybe 30 episodes, etc. It's important, but hardly the focus. I'll CERTAINLY explore Aura Guardians and their abilities. I think you'll be super impressed with what I've got if you stick with me till the end. Scizor fits into the scheme of things because he's there 5000 years ago during the Great Conflict. He'll be able to shed some light on stuff when he comes around.

**Kieran-Drew-Shane and Kimbsey203:** I'm super stoked that you guys can picture what's happening thanks to the description! It's one of my main focuses actually, to really paint a picture in the reader's minds.

* * *

_Dear __Readers,_

Nice. NICE. I've finished editing and I've added another chapter as well.

What have I changed? Spelling errors. Gramatical inconsistencies. Variations of said. Pokémon genders. Minor dialogue. A title page. Major legend inclusions. Other than that, nothing.

What will I continue? Everything. I intend to make this a story that's well over 1 million words. I just ask that you stick it out with me. ;)

My apologies. For everything. I've been lazy, I've been slacking, but I've also been clinically depressed. I'm seeking counselling but it's been a real chore to overcome it. One of the main characteristics of depression is lack of interest or motivation. I have a serious issue with that. It's come to the point that stimulating stuff like movies, tv, or video games DOESN'T INTEREST ME ANYMORE. Now you understand why mere edits of a story haven't happened even though it shouldn't take more than two weeks. Having said that, I still write, I still have the entire plot laid out, and I have words written for chapter 33, seven chapters away from here.

I also haven't played Journey yet, only because I don't have the PS3. Sad me, sad me.

As always, I love you guys, your review are what help me continue, even though I don't give a damn about what people think of the story. I write to write, and that's that. Ash is always hungry, and that's that. Keep the reviews coming, send me some PM's! I love to hear em! Send me a story to beta! That would really get my name out there a bit. Stay awesome you guys.

For those of you who like to witness the editing process, here are some variations of the father discussion scene that didn't make it into the final cut:

[At least, that's what she said until my dad was gone.

Your... your dad?

Yeah. He left my mom and I in pallet town when I was 7.

Ash?

He's just like Drew.]

[Who left you? Was it a girl?

No, no girl, my mom told me I was way too young for that stuff anyway.

my dad left me and my mom back in Pallet Town I guess…"

I don't really know what to say, other than I think I know what you're going through. Not exactly though, nobody has ever left me alone like that, well not since my father anyway.

Do you think badly of me?

No I... I think badly of Drew.

why?

He's like my father.]

Also, happy Single's Awareness Day! Just know that if you're sad about being alone today, remember that nobody loves you on any other day of the year either.

-lunar

* * *

_Story Notes:_

8 ya – Ash's Father leaves Delia Ketchum and her son alone in Pallet Town.

6 ya – Ash embarks on his Pokémon journey.

* * *

_Author__'__s __Notes:_

Uploaded, 02/14/13

| re-established ash-may friendship intimacy/decided to include ash's father in sub-plot/attempted humor to introduce physical contact/may still a crybaby |

RE: edit. 00/00/00


	32. Chrono Trigger

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Chrono Trigger**

Have you ever had the opportunity to fall into deep, peaceful slumber after a particularly hard day of work? Imagine being graced with such an opportunity, and then imagine the blissful wonder of waking in warm sheets to the feeling of peace and quietness. Revel in this experience, for some not only do not partake in them, but are actively prevented from doing so. Furthermore, even fewer of those who are actively prevented from doing so wake up to sentient, talking explosions of sound. Count your blessings.

"HEY THERE! RISE AND SHINE!"

**[Early Morning] Treasure Town (Wigglytuff's Guild)**

"Ugh…!" Ash the Riolu groggily mumbled, pulling his ears across his face to deaden the noise. "Whasgoinon?"

"Why are you still _asleep_? WAKE UP!"

"M-my poor ears…" Pikachu cried in agony, curling into a fetal position in protest.

"C'mon, snap out of it! I'm Loudred! And I'm a fellow apprentice!" the Big Voice Pokémon announced. "If you're late for our morning briefing, you'll make Guildmaster Wigglytuff lose his temper! I've got goose bumps just thinking about it! So _anyway_… I'm not about to get in trouble because you rookies got up _late_! GET IN GEAR!"

A few lumbering footsteps later, the supernova of sound had safely vanished. However, the two loitering bodies in the subterranean dormitory were still tingling from the reverberations.

"My ears are still ringing… What did he say? Something about getting ready?" Pikachu moaned in question.

"I'm still a Pokémon right…?" Ash rubbed his eyes without daring to open them. "Didn't we, *yawn* sign up as apprentices or something…?"

"Did we…? But that means—oh no!" Pikachu yelled in shock, jerking himself upright and running to Ash's side. "We totally overslept! We've got to hurry, Ash!"

"Mmm… Five more minutes," Ash groaned at Pikachu, who kept shaking him awake.

"Ash, now!"

**[A Moment Later]**

Fortunately Loudred extended some professional courtesy and woke the two sleepyheads early enough not to miss the morning rounds. Unfortunately he hadn't specified where the new recruits were supposed to be in the first place, so that left Pikachu and Ash scrambling around as quickly as possible through the many underground rooms to check.

"Nobody's in here either! Man we're gonna be late!" Pikachu jittered, already nervous about making a good impression. "Oh _where_ are they?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Ash asked, also starting to panic. "I just got here! I don't know anything at all!"

"Diglett and Dugtrio? " a faint voice squawked.

"Present!"

"Here, sir!"

"Hey, Pikachu!" Ash whispered, hearing the sounds of other Pokémon further down the hallway. "I think that's Chatot from yesterday!"

"Chimecho? Croagunk? "

"He-he-he-he…"

"Ring, ring, ring!"

"That's them!" Pikachu whispered back, already dashing on all fours towards the source. "We've got to hurry!"

"Now then! Minor apprentices Sunflora and Bidoof?"

"Oh my gosh, here! Here!"

"Yup-yup, me too!"

"Alright, that just leaves Loudred and the—SQUAWK!"

Without any warning, the Music Note, Electric Mouse, and Emanation species collided and morphed into a tumbling ball of Pokémon. After clearing their heads from rolling over each other, the two new rookies realized they probably crushed any chance of winning favors today.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Pikachu hurriedly apologized to the Flying type who was struggling to recover from the surprise. The little mouse rushed over to the second in command to help him up. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it—I hope we're not late!"

"You _are_ late rookies!" Loudred chastised.

"Hush! Your voice is ridiculously loud!" Chatot said to quiet him, brushing off the dirt from his wings as he stood upright again. "As for you two, do try not to repeat being untimely _or_ tumbling into your superiors before attendance!"

"Yes, yes sir!" Ash sounded off quickly, eager to put his blunder behind him.

"Yeah, me too, sir!" Pikachu agreed. "We won't forget it!"

"Good…" Chatot said, preening his feathers one last time. He noticed Pikachu and Ash remained standing awkwardly out of place. "Well get a move on, into the line like the rest of the guild!"

"Oh…"

"Now then, everyone seems to be present. Very well. Let us conduct our morning address. " Chatot said in a singsong voice. He turned around and faced the door behind him. "Guildmaster, the guild is in full attendance! "

A few seconds later a particularly pink person proceeded through the door, although really it looked more like lazily bumping into it and slogging himself through the frame. Guildmaster Wigglytuff had exited his office. A few more steps later he stopped walking, but every other moment a tiny drop of drool dripped out of the corner of his mouth.

"Now Guildmaster, please address the crew! "

"Zzz… zzz… snorfle… zzz…" was all that came out of Wigglytuff's mouth apart from driblets of saliva.

"He-he-he-he… the Guildmaster never ceases to amaze me," the Croagunk mused.

"Is he sleepwalking!?" Bidoof whispered in surprise. "But he looks wide awake!"

"Eek! His eyes are open too!" Sunflora cried to herself.

"Um, Pikachu? Are you sure this is the right Wigglytuff Guild?" Ash asked, nudging his partner in front of him.

"I hope so?" Pikachu wondered aloud.

"Uh, yes thank you, sir! We all value your… words of wisdom! " Chatot quickly recovered, ignoring the Guildmaster's lack of presence. "Okay, Pokémon! Take our Guildmaster's words of wisdom to heart! Finally, let's not forget our morning cheers! All together now! A one, a two, a one-two-three-four! "

"_One_! Don't shirk work!" all of the guild members recited simultaneously.

"Woa! That's so cool!" Pikachu exclaimed in excitement.

"_Two_! Run away and pay!"

"No way, they've got this memorized?" Ash asked in wonder.

"And _three_! Smiles go for miles!"

"Okay, Pokémon! Get to work! " Chatot directed.

"Hooray!" the guild replied, throwing their fists into the air and immediately departing for their business.

"Wow…" Ash said, slightly intimidated at the guild's coordination. "I guess we've got a lot of work to do around here."

"You got that right," Pikachu agreed. "Oh this is so exciting! We're gonna be an exploration team together! I wonder where—"

"—Hey, you shouldn't just be wandering around there," Chatot interrupted. "Come over here. "

At that, Chatot trotted over to the main ladder, ushering the two newcomers to follow him with his wings.

"Now, come on!" Chatot repeated. "Just because you two are rookies doesn't mean you get to act like it!"

As they climbed up the ladder, Chatot took it upon himself to begin explaining the nuts and bolts of exploring.

"You're just beginners, so we'll have you start off with a small assignment," he began. "Over time you should be able to take on harder jobs, but for now we'll start from the ground up. "

As all three Pokémon made it up the ladder, Chatot turned right and approached some sort of bulletin board. He brought Ash and Pikachu next to him to examine the many notices pinned haphazardly across the space.

"This is the Job Bulletin Board," Chatot continued. "Pokémon from various regions forward job requests here. You're also aware that bad Pokémon are cropping up in greater numbers, right?"

"Yup!" Pikachu replied immediately. "I've heard it's because the flow of time is getting messed up and it's wreaking havoc. That's the main reason why lots of bad Pokémon are appearing!"

"Wait, what?" Ash asked suddenly. "The flow of time is getting messed up? _Time_? As in hours and minutes? What's going on here?"

"Precisely," Chatot confirmed. "The details aren't very clear at the moment, but time getting out of whack has caused an outbreak of bad Pokémon all over the place. Because of all that, we've noticed an increase in the number of jobs. In addition, and it's unknown if this is because of time's influence, there has been a mass outbreak of mystery dungeons."

"Mystery dungeons?" Ash asked with some confusion.

"Yeah, Ash! You know how we got my Relic Fragment back yesterday?" Pikachu explained, patting the team's Treasure Bag with affection. "The place where we found it was a mystery dungeon. Basically a mystery dungeon changes each time you go into it and there's a different layout with different items every time! But if you faint in a dungeon, other Pokémon can find you just lying there and take your money and items! And for some reason you eventually get kicked out—they're very strange places and they're completely lawless… but there are always new things to discover with plenty of places to go exploring!"

"Well, you're quite informed, aren't you? " Chatot chirped happily. "That makes my job so much easier! Apart from that, most jobs take place in mystery dungeons unless they are more menial—in which case we usually don't accept them. The only jobs we take on in Wigglytuff's Guild are only the hardest and most imperative! So... let's look for a job that you should perform… Ah, yes—maybe this will do?"

"Oh really?" Pikachu exclaimed, taking the job request notice from Chatot. "Let's read it!"

'_Hello! _

_My name is Spoink! An outlaw has run off with my most prized possession. My precious pearl! That pearl is life itself to me…! I just can't seem to settle down if that pearl isn't in its proper place atop my head! But I've heard my pearl has been sighted! It's said to be on a rocky bluff. But this bluff is reported to be extremely unsafe. I could never go somewhere so frightening! Oh, friendly readers! Would you be so kind as to go to the bluff and get my pearl? I beg your help, exploration team members! - From Spoink'_

There was a pregnant pause where nobody spoke.

"Wait a second... we're supposed to fetch an item that someone_ dropped?_" Pikachu protested fiercely. "Come on! I'd rather do something that's more of an adventure! I'd rather look for treasure or explore unknown places! Things like that!"

"Oh hush, rookie!" Chatot squawked with indignation. "This world wasn't made in a day! It's important that you rookies pay your dues! Just remember not to faint and be careful while on a job. If you've understood all that, I suggest you get on with it! "

"Ugh," Pikachu groaned. "I guess I didn't think we'd get stuck doing jobs like this first…"

"Come on Pikachu! No use grumbling now, let's go get this thing done!" Ash encouraged Pikachu, not letting this little speed bump slow the duo down. "This is our first official job together! We're gonna clear it like nobody's business!"

"Yeah…" Pikachu agreed. "Yeah, you're right! Let's go!"

At that, and without any further reluctance, Ash and Pikachu climbed up the rest of the ladder of Wigglytuff's Guild and departed for the Drenched Bluff. A small trek to the East and a nice breath of fresh sea-salt air later, the two embarked on the quest for Spoink's pearl.

**[Morning] Drenched Bluff, Lv. B7**

Indeed, mystery dungeons were strange places. While Pikachu did mention all of the mysterious perks the dungeons offered, he somehow forgot to describe how one navigates them in the first place. It turns out that the word 'dungeon' doesn't describe every mystery dungeon accurately. Sometimes a forest would be considered a mystery dungeon, or even a canyon with hollow tunnels. So when a job describes an item rumored to be on the seventh floor, that information has no literal meaning in a setting like a jungle, cave, or a cliff face like Drenched Bluff.

So for every dungeon that had no structures to resemble floors of a tower, a different norm was used. Instead, the floor level referred to how _deep_ into the region the goal was located. If one could imagine each non-tiered dungeon as a somewhat circular region, the first 'floor' would be located somewhere along the outer perimeter while the seventh or deeper floors would correspond to a region further inside the circle, somewhere near the center. Pikachu had a little trouble explaining this to Ash as they wandered along the cliff face of Drenched Bluff, but there was something that bugged Ash even more than the changing layouts of the dungeon.

"Let me get this straight," Ash asked slowly, attempting to sort out all of this weird information. "Pokémon fight each other over money, money that's just _lying around_ in these dungeons?"

"And items too, yep," Pikachu lamented at the over-simplification of his explanation. He motioned for Ash to watch his step over the sharp rocks. "Basically every Pokémon out there is just trying to make ends meet like the next one. Since everyone's doing the same thing, we've got to fight each other for the few things lying around like berries, items, and yeah, money. And since we're a rescue team, we have to fight our way through all of the other Pokémon to complete jobs, also for money."

"That's horrible…" Ash gasped, feeling staggered by the enormity of the situation. "I never thought that being a Pokémon would be so hard!"

"Welcome to the Pokémon world, I guess—" Pikachu halted abruptly. He held up his hand and cautioned with a whisper. "Wait up."

"What is it?" Ash whispered back, realizing there was something nearby.

"I think I see the pink pearl that Spoink mentioned," the yellow mouse replied with apprehension. He peered from behind a large boulder to scope things out. "But there's an Anorith who's gonna grab it."

"Alright," Ash said with determination. "I'll run out and get his attention, and when he's distracted, you use that Thunder Wave attack you just learned."

"Got it," Pikachu replied, already sparking his cheeks. "Go!"

"Hey! You!" Ash yelled as he dashed into the other Pokémon's line of sight. "Get away from that pearl!"

"Like hell! Have a taste of my Water Gun!" the Old Shrimp Pokémon threatened. He opened up his tiny jaws ready to attack but was suddenly hit on the side by electricity.

"Thunder Wave! Now Ash!"

"Quick Attack!"

Two loud limestone thuds later the Anorith fell onto his back, immediately knocked out from the surprise attack. The pearl remained untouched just out of his reach, which Pikachu walked up to and snatched away from his pincers.

"Good work!" Pikachu said, holding the orb carefully. "Well, this must be Spoink's pearl. Let's hurry back with it."

In exchange for the pearl, Pikachu extracted a glinting Explorer's Badge from the Treasure Bag and held it in his hand. The little electric Pokémon trembled slightly out of giddiness and leaped into the air.

"Alright!" Pikachu celebrated, jumping up and down with the badge in his hand. "We cleared our very first job!"

Ash looked confused again, wondering why his partner was striking such a pose, but something inside him wanted to join in the fun. That and for some reason Ash thought it looked pretty cool.

"Yeah, way to go team!" Ash bounced into the air, high fiving Pikachu in the process. However, when they landed, Pikachu still had the badge up in the air. "Now that we're done let's get outta here!"

"That's what we're doing!" Pikachu replied, wondering what the heck Ash was talking about. "Come on you dummy, touch the badge so we can get leave!"

"Uh, what?" Ash asked. "Shouldn't we just retrace our steps to get out of here?"

"Are you crazy?" Pikachu cried out in shock. "You could be trapped in the dungeon forever! The layout keeps changing, remember?"

"WHAT?" Ash yelled with even more shock then Pikachu. "Then how the heck are we gonna get out of here?"

"With the Explorer's Badge!"

"The badge? How does that work?"

"I don't know, the HAPPI manual just said to use it! Something about manipulating ley lines I think—whatever, just touch it!"

And with that quasi-acceptable answer, Ash disregarded any misgivings about the Explorer's Badge and placed the rest of his trust in his partner. Fortunately they returned to the entrance of the bluff and without a moment's hesitation made their way back to the guild.

**[Late Morning] Treasure Town, (Wigglytuff's Guild)**

"Th-thank you! That pearl must be propped on my head, you see. I missed it so much!" the little Bounce Pokémon thanked in a jittery jumble. "I just couldn't settle down without it up there, so I was just boinging and sproinging every which way!"

Pikachu and Ash looked to each other awkwardly, observing that the pink pearled Pokémon was still 'boinging' and 'sproinging' even with the pearl in its place. At least the job went by without much of a hitch. Chatot remained next to the two recruits to make sure the first client-agent transaction completed properly.

"But thanks to you, that long nightmare is over!" Spoink continued. "And for that you have my sincere thanks! Please, take this as a reward!"

This time, instead of 'boinging' and 'sproinging' at random, the little Pokémon jumped over to a satchel that apparently belonged to her. Once she was close she jumped onto her spring-like organ, did not jump back up, and became enveloped by a telekinetic field. Then a Protein, Calcium, and Iron mineral ore magically rose out of the satchel, along with twenty golden nuggets, the equivalent of two thousand Poké currency.

"Oh, wow! All of this is for us?" Ash asked with great shock. The reward finally settled down on the ground and the Spoink resumed her hopping.

"Of course! Of course!" Spoink replied. "You see, that there is nothing compared to my pearl's value! Thank you, fair rescue team! Farewell!"

Once Spoink had sproinged up the ladder to the Guild exit, Pikachu could hardly contain his excitement any longer.

"We're rich, Ash!" he cried out with glee. "We're rich! We got rich just like that!"

"Man that was quick…" Ash said, hardly believing the sight of so many golden nuggets.

"Yes, yes, yes… well done, team! " Chatot said in a slightly bored sing-song voice. "Now hand that money over, if you please!"

That stopped Pikachu's celebrations.

"Huh?"

"Most of the money from jobs goes to the Guild, you see! " Chatot explained quickly. He hummed a slightly lecherous tune to himself as he divided up the gold nuggets into two groups. "And… your team's share of the money comes out to this much! "

"Huh? We keep only two of these? _Two?_" Pikachu asked in shock.

"That's like seriously unfair!" Ash joined in, feeling rather cheated out of a hard morning's work.

"Well that's the guild's rule, and you simply have to accept it! " Chatot replied, nearly grinning to himself at the two adventurer's plight. With those words he wandered off into the Guildmaster's chamber to deposit the spoils.

"Well that didn't go so well," Ash said, breaking the defeatist silence that ensued. "I thought we could keep the whole lot, you know?"

"Yeah," Pikachu agreed, depositing the remaining nuggets and items into the Explorer's Bag. "At least we get to keep the vitamin ores, right? Those would do wonders for us once we level up more."

"Really?" Ash asked. "I've never used them before…"

"Wait, do you mean in the Pokémon world or in the—"

"—_HEY_, YOU TWO!"

"Aghhhh!" Ash screamed. "My ears!"

"My poor ears!" Pikachu cried, already curling into a fetal position.

"S-sorry…" the loud voice apologized. "I'll try to tone it down a bit, but we need your help!"

"L-loudred?" Ash asked, remembering the sentient alarm clock from earlier in the morning.

"You need us for something?" Pikachu asked, opening his eyes and realizing it wasn't a thousand Zubats screeching at once.

"We don't usually do this, but this morning we had a little bit of an emergency…" Loudred explained, ushering the two recruits to follow him. The gang descended the stairs and turned right toward some sort of hole in the ground.

"Diglett! I've brought them!" Loudred called out with much less volume.

"Thank you," a little mole-like Pokémon responded, popping his head out from under the ground. "Hey recruits! I'm Diglett, I hope you would be able to sub in for a little while."

"You two are doing sentry duty today!" Loudred clarified.

"Sentry…?"

"Duty…?"

"Yes, I apologize, I'm the one who usually does it," Diglett explained. "But today, my dad gave me his duty of updating the boards since he's on an important job. That's why I cannot man my post. It would be great if someone could take over, at least for a little while. And that's why you're here! So please do a good job for me! Bye!"

"And that's that!" Loudred finished just as Diglett retreated back into the ground and presumably started moving onto his next post.

"W-what just happened?" Ash asked, scratching his head.

"Yeah, uh… I didn't follow that at all! Why are we doing this exactly?" Pikachu asked.

"Shut your yap!" Loudred yelled, already back in foghorn mode. "We're low on staff today and you two recruits need to work your way up through the ranks, so _quit your bellyaching_!"

"Ow… my head is pounding…" Pikachu groaned. "Could you at least, like, explain what we're doing?"

"Why sentry duty!" Loudred boomed.

"S-sentry duty?" Ash asked with weariness, also knocking his head to clear the ear canals of their ringing sound.

"You heard right, sentry duty!" Loudred continued, undeterred by the two rookies' displays of audio sensitivity. "You see, we can't have suspicious characters coming into the guild, so we station a sentry below the guild entrance to evaluate Pokémon visitors. That's when they hear Diglett's voice to identify their footprint!"

"Oh, now I remember!" Pikachu said, massaging his ear lobes all the while. "There's a hole in front of the gate that's covered with mesh or something. So you want us to climb down this hole. And then?"

"This tunnel here leads to the sentry post," Loudred explained conversationally. "Diglett burrows through it and pops out underneath the sentry post. From there, he inspects the footprints of visitors, identifies them, and then informs me. Then I decide if the Pokémon is suspicious or not and open the gate if it's safe."

Ash and Pikachu started to nod, each slowly understanding how this mysterious band of Pokémon operated the guild. They would've liked a more thorough explanation but it seemed like that wasn't going to come anytime soon.

"In other words, we serve as the Guild's gatekeepers!" Loudred said proudly. "Diglett and I may do it with a bit more _finesse_, but all you really need to do is inspect the footprints of visitors, then tell me what Pokémon they are. Understood?"

"I guess so?" Pikachu said with some unease.

**[Noon] Treasure Town, (Wigglytuff's Guild)**

"The footprint is Tangela's! The footprint is Tangela's!" Ash yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Heard ya! Come in, visitor!" Loudred's voice boomed back with even more volume. A few moments later he yelled again. "Yep! Looks like you're right! Keep it up rookie!"

"Sure thiiiiiing!" Ash replied, although he coughed a bit by the end of it. "Man, I wish my voice carried as easily as Loudred's…"

"You don't say, huh?" Pikachu replied, a sweatdrop running down his forehead.

Truthfully it was a miracle that Loudred could hear the little Riolu's bark at all. The sentry post was an incredibly long and curved tunnel away from the second ground floor where Loudred remained, so sounds didn't carry well from one end to the other. More than that, _Pokémon_ didn't carry well from one end to the other. Pikachu had to use Thundershock to light part of the way and Ash resorted to Foresight to help amplify his vision. The two barely got to the post in time.

The post itself was a relatively small cavern located directly underneath the grated hole in front of the guild entrance. The way it was constructed, sunlight always came at such an angle that all a Pokémon had to do was stand on the grate and their footprints would be illuminated.

"You know, you're really, really good at this stuff, Ash! You got all eight Pokémon who've passed through here right! How do you do it?"

"Oh it's easy," Ash replied, glancing up at the gate after every other word. "There used to be this TV show called _Who's That Pokémon_ and I'd watch it all the time! I guess that helped out some."

"TV… show?" Pikachu asked.

"Yeah! When I'm watching the show I can guess the Pokémon by their shapes or footprints and things like that," Ash explained. "But I could never do that under pressure or on a test…"

"Ash, I'm sorry. What's a TV show?" Pikachu asked with his eyebrow raised in confusion.

"Wait, you guys don't have TV here?" Ash jumped back in surprise.

"I'm pretty sure we don't," he replied. "What is that, like some sort of disease?"

"No, no! It's just this box that you can watch shows and movies on and stuff!"

"Movies? Shows?"

"Wait… you mean you haven't you seen _Natutanic_? _Wild Wild West_? _Meowthzilla_?"

Pikachu kept shaking his head at each name, only making Ash more and more surprised.

"Not even _Pocket Monsters starring Red and the Blockhead Clefairy_?"

"Definitely not…"

"HEY! You two!" an incredibly loud voice yelled through the tunnel. "We've got a new visitor already while you rookies were _yapping_! So buck up and snap to it!"

"Alright, alright!" Pikachu replied. "Pokémon detected! Pokémon detected!"

"I got this…" Ash added. "The footprint is Teddiursa's the footprint is Teddiursa's!"

"Heard ya! Come in, visitor!" Loudred's voice boomed back. After Loudred's canned greeting, Ash cupped his hand and whispered something to Pikachu.

"One day I'm definitely gonna show you _Pocket Monsters_. You'll love it!"

"Haha, if you say so, Ash! But so far as I can tell, TV is still some kind of disease…"

**[A Moment Later]**

"Well, well! Your results were completely perfect! " Chatot squawked with glee. "You rookies identified every visitor correctly!

"Awh, it was nothing really!" Ash replied, feeling his cheeks glow hot with praise.

"For your splendid first-time effort, we'll reward you quite generously! "

"Really?" Pikachu wondered, his eyes already aglow with possibility. "Do we get to keep the rest of our job reward from earlier?"

"Nonsense! Here take these! "

With that, Chatot, handed the two new guild apprentices two Apples, a Green Gummy, and five golden nuggets. Pikachu's visage was ablaze with delight at the spoils. Ash on the other hand didn't know what to make of these new items. The yellow mouse bagged the reward all the same.

"Now if you'll come with me to the upper floor, there's more work to be done!" Chatot said in a singsong voice again.

"What?" Ash protested. "Already? We just got back from the Drenched Bluff barely an hour ago!"

"Oh hush, rookie!" Chatot retorted. "You came to Wigglytuff's Guild to be an exploration team, not a complaining team, right? "

"Come on, Ash," Pikachu whispered, pushing his partner towards the ladder. "Let's just see what Chatot has to say first!"

"This morning I had you two do a job from the board on the right side, yes? " Chatot called down to the recruits as he ascended the ladder. "Now I'll have you two complete a job on the left side!"

"So what's the difference?" Ash asked as he pulled himself up onto the lower level.

"I hope it's not looking for someone's lost item again!" Pikachu scoffed. "That would be a nightmare…"

"Ahem!" Chatot coughed and squawked into his wing. "The board, please?"

"This is different," Pikachu said after examining the board a little bit more closely. "Instead of notes and requests this board just has posters of different Pokémon. Wow, they all look pretty tough!"

"Are they famous explorers or something?" Ash asked, hoping to finally understand this world a little better.

"Absolutely not! " Chatot laughed heartily. "The Pokémon posted here are all outlaws! Shady characters, bad guys, thugs, you name 'em! And they're wanted for committing crimes."

"They're criminals?" Ash cried out, aghast at the news. "That's horrible!"

"Criminals indeed, and each has a particular bounty on their head! " Chatot explained, smiling at how rudimentary the news was. "In other words, there is a cash reward if you capture one! That and there are so many aggressive Pokémon around these days that someone's got to deal with the problem! More revenue for us, if you ask me! "

"W-w-w-wait!" Pikachu protested, his knees already shivering with nervousness. "You aren't seriously telling us to go catch these guys? They're gonna be way too strong for us!"

"Oh yes indeed! Hee-hee! " Chatot replied with an unfathomably happy smile. "Worry not you rookies. These Pokémon come in all shades of badness, you see! Some of these disastrous characters are completely wicked, through and through, beaks to bones… but some of them are mere petty thieves. So you've got evil to naughty... and everything in between! "

Between the petrified faces of Ash and Pikachu there was enough sweat to water an Oran Berry tree. Chatot, on the other hand, was about as worried as tall as the Cheri vines grow – that is to say, minimally.

"Not to worry rookies! I'm sure we can avoid giving you a job to apprehend legendary wealth-pilfering Pokémon, hee-heeeee! " Chatot said. "Now let us see… which one of these badies are rookie material? Hmmm? Maybe this fellow….? No-no-no-no, higher. Higher indeed! I'd say you two should go for the—"

"—Friendly friends! It's lunch time!" a disembodied voice called over megaphones in the ceiling. They functioned as a primitive PA system. "Yaaaay! I repeat, it's lunch time! Yaaaay! Now where's my Big Apple? Oh where did it go?"

"Never mind… that would be Guildmaster Wigglytuff's cue for the lunch break. " Chatot lamented, already moving towards the second level. "Listen up, rookies! I suppose you should be more prepared to confront a tough opponent, so I'll have someone give you a tour of the town to stock up. Bidoof? Bidoof!"

"Bidoof?" Pikachu asked.

"Is he like a criminal we can practice on?" Ash also asked with complete ignorance.

"No, no, no you newbie! Agh," Chatot sighed as he let his face fall down into his plumage. He waited at the foot of the ladder impatiently. "He's your fellow apprentice! _Bidoof_!"

"From this morning, I guess?" Pikachu suggested. "In all honesty I've been trying to forget this morning…"

Eventually a ragged breathing, brown furred Plump Mouse species Pokémon emerged from the ladder and sprawled himself on the floor. It appears he ran as fast as he could from somewhere rather deep within the guild.

"Hah… hah… sorry I'm… late!" Bidoof apologized, clutching his chest for breath. "You called? Yup, yup?"

* * *

_**Dear Readers,**_

Let us begin with a new series in the author's notes called: _TestSubject's Test Subjects_! This is the grand show where I ask you guys (my test subjects) a question and see what kind of responses I can get. Here goes!

**Do you think this story should have a romantic element to it or not? Also, are you okay with Ash and May discovering feelings for each other, or would you rather it be someone else? How about a catfight? You guys like catfights? Since the story is going to be incredibly long and I want Ash to be happy, who should be the lucky girl to make him happy? GO!**

In other news, thankfully I am almost out of my depression phase! Well, getting out of it is sort of a poor way to explain it. Depression is something internal that keeps resurfacing the more you ignore it. So for me, I have to keep battling it every day. I realized that my depression was coming from several sources, the most important source being my addiction to video games. Yep. The very thing that inspires this fic also ended up destroying my motivation for anything else besides video games. This meant taking time away from my school, my friends, my projects, and finally culminating in a bunch of unfinished stories. As they say, recognizing the problem is half the battle.

I've also decided to actually PM respond to your reviews! I've found myself really enjoying some of the PM chats other authors have initiated so I'll do the same.

I've also changed my pen name to TestSubject069, which is only slightly more mature sounding than lunarshadow69. lunarshadow will forever be my first alias and remains a deeply involved symbol to me.

I would also like to shamelessly promote _my Beta project_: Writer under training's "**Road to be a Pokémon Master**!" He and I have been collaborating very closely to improve his grammar and direction of the story. I've got to say, I enjoy reading his work _a lot_. Where my work is slow paced and trying to tackle too many things at once, WOT's work is a thoroughly enjoyable roller coaster ride of amazing battles. I find my heart races when I read his stuff! I guess my fanfiction is like an obscure Whole Foods bottle of wine, whereas WOT's fanfiction is straight up Tequila shots.

Currently I am working on re-edits as well to keep internal story continuity and meatiness high, but at the end of this process I'll redirect the readers to the specific sections that changed. At the time of writing this note, the only re-edit finished is the prologue. Even that was recently edited again by a very special acquaintance.

I have not yet played Chrono Trigger although I've heard it is legit one of the best games ever made.

**AND!**

Finally... Please give a warm, warm super warm welcome to my _beta_, **Failisse**! She has graciously offered to skim my chapters thus far for any blemishes and even work through the previous chapters. I don't know how to thank her enough for her hard work. Not only has she encouraged me through her essay long reviews of my work, she's also encouraged me through PM and email. I can't wait to see what we will accomplish with this new combination.

-TestSubject069

* * *

_**Story Notes:**_

N/A

* * *

_**Sources:**_

HAPPI - wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_Mystery_Dungeon:_Gates_to_Infini ty | Short for _Helping Adventurous Pokémon Prosper Institute_, first described in the 3DS installment of the Mystery Dungeon spin-off, but apparently part of the other games due to the Pelipper Mail Service.

Pokémon Movies within the Episodes - anime/movies/ and wiki/Movies_in_the_Pokémon_world | Who knew that even Pokémon was meta?

* * *

_**Author's Notes:**_

Completed, 05/12/13

Uploaded, 06/09/13

| continuing mystery dungeon dreams/absurdity of the Pokémon condition/depression has been slain for now/new writing productivity process has begun/no longer responding to reviews inside the chapters/added _TestSubject's Test Subjects_ |

RE: edit. 06/06/13

| _Failisse has offered to be my beta reader_ |

RE: edit. 06/08/13


	33. TimeSplitters

**Chapter Twenty-Four: TimeSplitters**

It's funny how quick people are to assume things about places that they've never been to before. For example, a resident of the Kanto region may have assumed that the people of Hoenn were all tropical in spirit because they lived on an island. In return the citizens of Hoenn may have guessed that the Pokémon League has stronger opponents in Kanto because it was the oldest established league. Of course these assumptions are completely wrong, bogus, and unfounded. Hoenn natives were just as tropical as the Kanto natives were impossible to beat. That is to say, not very. But admittedly, these assumptions are largely cosmetic and superficial.

There are much larger assumptions out there, indeed. For example, Ash assumed that in the Pokémon world, commerce and governments would have found different ways to conduct themselves. Ash initially thought that their social constructs and stratifications would have solved problems of food, money, and maybe even created a completely law abiding society without crime. How wrong he was. It turns out that food was always a relevant issue, money was still unbearably scarce, and criminals were still a big, big problem. Indeed it was like he never left his own world.

**[High Noon] Treasure Town (Town Square)**

"These apples are really good, Bidoof!" Pikachu exclaimed happily, mid-munch. "I've never had one so crisp before! Where do you find them?"

"Wow, these are super tasty…!" Ash realized as he bit into a new section.

Ash, Pikachu, and the minor apprentice named Bidoof were snacking on their rewards from sentry duty after a quick tour of the guild and Treasure Town. Within Wigglytuff's Guild Ash and Pikachu were properly re-introduced to the sentry duty duo Loudred and Diglett, waved a few awkward hellos to Croagunk who manned the Swap Shop for rare items, passed by the guild chef Chimecho, got hey-hey-heyed by Corphish all the way to the staircase, and quickly chatted with Sunflora who 'EEK-ed' at the chance to meet new friends. As for the amenities of Treasure Town, Bidoof quickly showed the duo the Watering Hole, Duskull Bank, the Electivire Link Shop, Kangaskhan Storage, and lastly the Kecleon Market before suggesting the small group stop for lunch.

"Aw, shucks, thank you! We usually get them from Apple Woods, all the way in the back," Bidoof explained. "Since I used to be the new recruit they had me run errands like that all the time, but now maybe you guys will get the job!"

"Hey Bidooph?" Ash asked with a mouthful of apple. "You sheem vewy happy about ush being new recruips? Why ish dat?"

"Oh! I'm just so glad to have members junior to me!" Bidoof grinned sincerely. "I'm so overcome right now, I might just blubber with happiness! You see, before you all signed on I was the most recent rookie, but now—maybe Chatot will come to respect me even more! Yup-yup!"

Truthfully, Ash hadn't the foggiest idea of what ranking in a guild meant, but it was still interesting to hear it all the same. So instead of dwelling on information he was ill-equipped to digest, he redirected his efforts to polishing off the last bites of his Big Apple. Pikachu had the same idea and was already smacking his lips together from a good lunch.

"Man, I'm full you guys!" Pikachu said happily whilst patting his belly. "That Big Apple really fills you up, doesn't it?"

"Yes sirree! And good thing too, cause' gummies are much harder to find," Bidoof suggested. "You're better off saving yours for a rainy day instead of a quick dessert."

"Well I'm ready for whatever's next on the menu!" Ash announced quickly.

"You're still hungry?" Pikachu asked. "But we have to pick up some supplies from the Kecleon Market!"

"Supplies?" Ash queried, his interest already piqued.

"Yeah, supplies! You know, like scarves, glasses, seeds, berries, orbs, Technique Manuals…" Pikachu listed off as many things as he could. "You name it!"

"Boy, you sure know a lot, yes sirree!" Bidoof marveled, complimenting the yellow Pokémon. "Alright then. You two should come find me when you're all set and I'll give you a helping hand to pick the right outlaw for you."

"Thank you, Bidoof!" Pikachu said with great gratitude. "You've been really nice!"

"Thanks dude! Without you, I know I'd definitely be lost! Haha…" Ash admitted sheepishly.

"G-golly, you're embarrassing me! Aw, shucks..." the plump brown Pokémon said bashfully. "Well, I'll be waiting at the guild's upper underground floor for you."

At that, the new Exploration Team watched Bidoof trek back to the guild before turning in the opposite direction towards Kecleon Market.

"Say Pikachu? What are you thinking about getting at the market?" Ash asked, completely unaware of what sort of amazing items existed.

"Well if they have one I'm thinking about a neat scarf to help us get through dungeons easier," Pikachu explained. "Ooh! I've heard there's even a scarf that even lets you walk through walls! It's incredible!"

"Walk through… _walls_?" Ash asked in shock. "Is that even a thing?"

"The Mobile Scarf…?" a voice with a mild drawl accent suddenly asked.

"Why that's an item that would fetch a beautiful golden nugget, wouldn't you say?" another voice with a similar accent responded.

"Woa, two Kecleon?" Ash asked, realizing who the two Pokémon in front of him were.

"It's the Kecleon Shop, remember?" Pikachu said, quickly nudging his partner to jog his memory.

"Yes indeed we are, my friends!" a green Color Swap Pokémon gleefully announced. "Welcome to the Kecleon Shop! "

"Our particular branch is family owned by yours truly, the Shop and Ware Brothers!" a purple Color Swap Pokémon gleefully chimed in. "Is this your first time you've examined our wares?"

"Uh, for me it is!" Ash replied, slightly unnerved by the Kecleons' outgoingness. "I'm uh… not from around here! Yeah!"

"You could say that again, Ash," Pikachu added nervously, a sweatdrop trailing down his forehead. "Excuse me, but do you have any scarves that would help us out in mystery dungeons?"

"Indeed we do, young Pikachu!" the green Pokémon replied, wittingly rhyming in verse. He turned around and dug behind the counter a bit before extracting three cloths of fabric. "The first item we have is a Pierce Band, which gives your muscles quite a mean swing! With it, you can throw items like Gravelrocks and Iron Thorns very, very far indeed! The second accessory we've got is a Munch Band, a very tricky item to hold unless you've got the stomach for it… And last, but not least, we have a Special Scarf—highly effective if you like to attack from afar!"

"Gravelrocks? Iron Thorns?" Ash asked lamely with confusion written all over his face.

"They're items that you can just pick up off the ground and use to attack the enemy!" Pikachu quickly explained. "How much for the Special Scarf?"

"Well…!" the purple Kecleon said, leaning into the phrase. "Normally we'd ask the regular price of five hundred—"

"Five hundred?" Pikachu cried out. "That's like all the money we earned so far!"

"—Ah, you should have let him finish!" the green Kecleon continued. "Since this is your first time visiting our shop, we'd love to offer you a special promotion!"

"Special promotion" Ash asked excitedly. "How much now?"

"Oooonly—!" the purple Kecleon shouted.

"—two hundred!" the green Kecleon exclaimed.

"Really?" Pikachu asked, practically hopping up and down with glee. "Only two gold nuggets for the Special Scarf?"

"Absolutely!" both Kecleon brothers said simultaneously.

"Hooray!" Pikachu exclaimed, practically jumping up and down with excitement. "What do you think, Ash? Should we get one?"

"Definitely, Pikachu!" Ash agreed. "It looks like you've always wanted one so here's your chance! Consider it as a gift for letting me join with you!"

"Really, Ash? Can I?" Pikachu asked like a little kid, trying not to sound wanting but barely containing his enthusiasm. With a quick and smiling nod from Ash, Pikachu tackled him into a bone-crushing hug. "Oh you're the best Ash! Alright Misters Kecleon, we'll take the Special Scarf!"

"Our only course of action…!" the purple Kecleon began.

"Is customer satisfaction! It's yours!" the green Kecleon finished.

And after the exchange of two golden nuggets for the Special Scarf, Pikachu looked upon the new fabric lovingly, like it was made of the rarest jewels on the planet. Ash couldn't help but admire his partner and the newly acquired item, but he also couldn't help but wonder what Pikachu was going to do with it. Just as Ash got through thinking about it, Pikachu rolled up the scarf into a knot and slipped it over his neck.

"Wow…" Ash mumbled in awe. "I've got to get myself one of those."

"Man, I feel more powerful already!" Pikachu said, looking himself over from side to side. "I can't wait to test this out on some no-good evil-doers! What about you Ash? Don't you want something for yourself?"

"Hmm… I don't know," Ash said, trying to think it over. "I mean, the other things look great, but I don't know if I'll be able to use them really. I think I'll just buy one of those Big Apples!"

"Really?" Pikachu complained all slack-jawed. "Do you always think with your stomach?"

"Ahe-he-he, more or less."

"That'll be three bronze nuggets, if you please!" the green colored shopkeeper requested.

Turns out Ash and Pikachu only had five gold nuggets left over from the two jobs they completed earlier. While they initially thought the exchange couldn't be made, the purple Kecleon quickly explained that five bronze nuggets equaled a silver nugget, and that two silver nuggets equaled a golden nugget.

"You see, the Kecleon Coalition standardized our monetary system a long, long time ago!" the green Kecleon explained as he rummaged behind the counter for the Big Apple. "We use the base ten system but other, erm, not so organized groups use odd measurements for value… and here you are! Your Big Apple, and the change!"

"Thank you!" Ash appreciated, depositing the Big Apple, two bronze nuggets, and one silver nugget into the explorer's bag. "Though I have no clue what this base ten thing is either—"

"—Mister Kecleon! Mister Kecleon!" a small and high-pitched voice called from a small distance away.

Suddenly all attention shifted towards the approaching figures of two short aqua-colored Pokémon who were running towards the Kecleon Shop booth. It was clear that these two little ones were just kids, probably running an errand on behalf of somebody.

"Ah! Little Marill and Azurill!" the purple Kecleon recognized. "What a delight!"

"Welcome, my young friends! " the green Kecleon agreed. "You must be here for your mother, I presume?"

"Yes, sir, Mr. Kecleon. May I buy an Apple?" the little Azurill humbly requested in his small voice.

"Oh, most certainly!" the green Kecleon acknowledged.

At that, the Marill withdrew a single bronze nugget from the small satchel he carried and jumped up to place the money on the Kecleon Shop counter. Almost immediately, the green Kecleon emerged from behind and placed a large apple on the counter next to the currency.

"I wanna carry it! I wanna carry it!" the Azurill pleaded.

"Oh fine, just be careful with it… wait a minute, Azurill!" the Marill paused and noticed how large the fruit on the counter was. "Mr. Kecleon, we didn't pay for a Big Apple. Why are you giving us one?"

"Oh, yes... That, young friends, is a gift from me and my brother to you two," the purple Kecleon who didn't even retrieve the item responded. "Please, share it among yourselves and do enjoy."

"Really?" Marill asked in disbelief. The two brothers behind the counter simply smiled widely.

"Yay! Thank you Mr. and Mr. Kecleon!" Azurill shouted with glee at the news.

Without a second to spare, the little tyke jumped onto his elastic tail, popped up a few times, then sproinged up to the top of the counter and took the large fruit off the counter. However, he may have been a bit inexperienced with reaching for heavy objects and he began to wobble.

"Woaoa!" Azurill yelped as he lost his balance and fell to the ground. The Big Apple sliped from his tiny grasp and rolled away. "Yowch! It hurts!"

"Wah! Are you okay?" Pikachu asked in surprise. "Here, let me help you up!"

"I'll get the apple!" Ash said, already running towards the fallen item. Muttering to himself as he got near it he said, "There you are, here we—"

Just as he touched the skin of the fruit, Ash's eyes bulged wide and his body reflexively lurched forward. Ash grunted, clutching his stomach to stop an intense pain somewhere around his stomach. A second later he doubled onto the ground and closed his eyes to shut the agony away, but it immediately worsened. For a split second he thought he would wretch onto the poor uneaten apple, but when he looked to see where it was, he couldn't see anything at all. Then like sound that echoes in a tunnel, a loud screech rushed through the blackness.

…

_H-h-h-HELP…!_

…

Then there was nothing. Ash opened his eyes and found himself panting for breath.

"What… was that?" Ash quietly asked himself, mentally thanking the heavens for not spoiling the boys' lunch. He looked around expecting to see someone cry for a rescue again, but all he saw were peaceful Pokémon going about their business. "I heard someone shout but…?"

"Ash!" Pikachu shouted instead. "Are you gonna stare at that apple all day?"

"Oh, right… coming!" Ash stammered, trying to wrap his head around what just happened. He quickly gave the apple to the little Azurill, but frankly he didn't even notice the small Polka Dot Pokémon thank his rescue team for assistance. He also didn't notice they had left to run along, he didn't hear the Kecleon brothers explain the two kids' family situation, and he hardly even realized Pikachu wanted to get back to the guild until he felt the small mouse nudge him roughly. That scream just kept repeating itself over and over in Ash's memory.

"Hello…?" Pikachu said, waving his paw in front of Ash's eyes frantically. "Are you okay?"

Nary a response.

"Ahem!" Pikachu coughed loudly, also bumping his shoulder into Ash's. "Anybody home?"

"Agh, Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed, just regaining all of his senses. "Sorry man I…I guess I was spacing out a bit."

"That's like the understatement of the year!" Pikachu huffed, with an annoyed expression written into his features. "It's like you saw a ghost!"

"I dunno, I…!" Ash said, holding his head with his paw. "Did you hear someone shout just a few seconds ago?"

"Huh?" Pikachu asked, dropping the disgusted act. "A shout? Not at all, everything was just normal! Are you imagining things? Come on, let's get back to Bidoof and hunt some bad guys!"

"Alright, I guess," Ash conceded. He wasn't quite convinced that he imagined the scream. It just sounded so real to him.

"Wait, I just remembered! I want to put the rest of our money away in the bank," Pikachu mentioned. "We wouldn't want to lose all of it if we end up getting mugged."

Ash barely understood a word that his partner said, resigning himself to just loosely following after Pikachu. That scream just wouldn't leave his head; it sounded so frightened, worried, but there was something even more about it that troubled the human trapped in a Pokémon's body. The scream sounded real. It sounded so real.

"Welcome to Duskull bank! How may I help you? Hee-hee… ho-ho-ho!"

But where had he heard that voice before? It was so hard to tell because it was a scream; almost anybody could sound high pitched like that if they were in deep trouble. But that also meant that maybe the voice was also in deep trouble?

"Yes, yes, yes—marvelous! All of it will rest in peace… it shall rest foreeeever, if you wish! Muahaha! Anything else I may do for you…?"

Why was that voice so familiar? It wasn't Pikachu's voice and it wasn't anybody from the guild, that was for sure. Maybe from somebody he just met? Someone like—no, it couldn't be… Marill? Maybe Azurill? There was only one way to find out for sure. There's no way Ash would just let a real scream like that go unsaved.

"No, that'll be it. Thank you, Duskull," Pikachu said with an edge of creeped-out in his voice. "Let's get to Bidoof, Ash! Ash?"

"Pikachu? This is gonna sound really weird, but…" Ash began, furrowing his eyebrows at how ridiculous his proposal was gonna be. "I think I heard one of the little brothers scream in some kind of… look, I just wanna check on them and make sure they're alright!"

"You're sure?" Pikachu asked. He looked around quickly and noticed something. "Well I can see them talking to somebody over there, I think a Psychic type? They're coming this way."

Luckily the party of Azurill, Marill, and this new Pokémon were moving towards the Duskull Bank. He knew it was a little bit rude to ask about people's business unnecessarily, but Ash quickly stopped them just to make sure he wasn't worrying needlessly.

"Hey Marill, where are you guys going?" Ash asked, almost blocking the pathway that led out of town. "Who's this Pokémon?"

"Oh, hi again!" Marill responded, hardly taking offense at Ash's actions. "We lost an item that was really important to us a long time ago. We've been trying to find it ever since with no luck until—"

"—Until Mr. Drowzee came along!" Azurill chimed in, bouncing up and down happily.

"He says he may have seen our lost item somewhere and he even offered to help us look for it!" Marill said. "Today must be our really lucky day or something!"

"Wow!" Pikachu said, genuinely impressed with this Pokémon. "You'd go out of your way just to help these kids, Mr. Drowzee?"

"It's no big deal," the Pokémon called Drowzee assured the group with a smile. He was wearing some sort of scarf around his neck, which he adjusted hastily. "Besides! I'd have to have a very cold heart indeed to ignore these good kids."

"See Ash?" Pikachu asked, hoping that his partner wasn't feeling paranoid any longer. "No need to get all shaken up about them!"

"I guess…" Ash conceded, but he turned to Drowzee and asked, "Can you promise me that nothing bad will happen to these two?"

"Hmmm?" Drowzee hummed with puzzlement. "I suppose I don't see anything wrong happening any time soon. Trust me, these two are as safe as can be with me. Let us begin our search!"

"Yup!" Marill and Azurill said, already singing some folk tune about looking for treasure. "We're on our way to Bristle ~ the mountainous region of awe! We heard there was some~thing that must be found~ if not, then just because! "

"Now if you'll excuse me, those kids are certainly a handful," Drowzee mused, using his arms to move through Pikachu and Ash to get to the city limits.

Then it happened again.

"That Pokémon seemed nice enough, didn't he?" Pikachu wondered as he watched the trio vanish into the forest that marked the end of Treasure Town. "I wonder what you were so worried about, Ash? Um Ash? Are you—"

"Aghhhh!" Ash yelled out with grit. "Can't… I can't…"

…

"_If you keep being difficult, it will mean big trouble for you!"_

_H-h-h-HELP…!_

…

**[High Noon] Treasure Town (Wigglytuff' Guild)**

"Do you think he's okay? What happened?"

"He just passed out all of a sudden, so I rushed him to the guild!"

"Oh my gosh, is he dead?"

"No don't say that! I think he's waking up now!"

Ash slowly blinked his eyes open, realizing that he was coming back into consciousness. He felt his head was propped up by some leaves and realized that Bidoof, Sunflora, and Pikachu were all standing around him.

"Thank goodness you're alright, Ash!" Pikachu said, wiping the perspiration off his forehead. "You gave me quite a shock when you just collapsed on the ground in front of the bank."

"How… ugh, how long was I out?" Ash said, holding his head in his hands. He pushed himself off the ground and tried to stand.

"Just a few minutes! Yup-yup!" Bidoof answered with relief. "We really need you, so try not to do that again, yes-sirree!"

"Thank goodness you're okay!" Sunflora squealed. "But why did you pass out in the first place?"

"I, I remember talking to Marill and Azurill at the Kecleon Shop…" Ash recounted as best he could. "Then Pikachu and I deposited our earnings in the bank, then… then Drowzee…"

Suddenly Ash realized that this time when he felt woozy he didn't just hear things, he saw something too! He saw some bulky yellow Pokémon wearing a scarf walk up to a small blue Pokémon very menacingly, obviously trying to threaten it. Even though the bodies were oddly discolored, like they were unsaturated, Ash realized he clearly knew who those Pokémon were. It was Drowzee and Azurill—and Azurill was crying for help!

"We have to leave now!" Ash turned toward Pikachu urgently. "I think Azurill is in danger because of Drowzee!"

"_What_?" everyone collectively asked at once.

"Those two young brothers whose mother fell ill?" Bidoof questioned for clarification.

"That Drowzee who just showed up in town recently?" Sunflora squealed again.

"Yes, yes, those guys!" Ash waved his arms desperately. "We've got to find them and make sure Drowzee doesn't do anything horrible to them!"

"Ash… I," Pikachu began hesitantly. "I think we should—"

"—should what, Pikachu?" Ash demanded with serious urgency. "We don't have _time_ to talk about this!"

"Ash, listen!" Pikachu shouted, making Ash recoil like he'd been slapped. "It's not like I don't trust you or anything, it's just that last time you heard shouting there wasn't anything wrong! It's just hard to believe that there's something wrong right now. What happened?"

"I…" Ash deflated, realizing that nobody understood how clear the danger was. "I know it's hard to believe, but I think I had a vision."

"A vision?" Pikachu asked, cocking his head to the side in disbelief. "Is that why you fell on the ground?"

"Yeah, both times!" Ash explained. "The first time I just heard a really high pitched scream and that was it, but this time I actually saw Drowzee say that he was going to threaten Azu—look, _we don't have time for this_!"

"Ash, just please hear me out first!" Pikachu pleaded. "I want to believe you, I really do! But maybe you're just really tired and that's why you've been daydreaming? And besides! I also can't believe Drowzee would do that! He seemed really sincere!"

The human stuck in an Emanation Pokémon's body looked at his partner with abject horror. Even though Ash tried to spell out how much trouble Azurill and Marill were in, it looked like those warnings would all fall on deaf ears. He glanced at Bidoof and Sunflora to gauge if they believed him, but they hardly seemed to. He looked back at Pikachu in front of him hoping for a small measure of understanding but he couldn't find any.

"You know what, guys? I get it. You don't trust me," Ash said with stark finality. "If nobody is going to help Azurill then I'm just going to have to do it myself."

At that, Pikachu's jaw slacked and the pit of his stomach dropped into the ground in shame. The little mouse wanted to say something to prevent Ash from leaving, but he realized he probably made Ash look like a fool in front of everyone. Understanding what a mistake he made, Pikachu didn't even stop Ash from taking the team Explorer's Bag off his shoulder.

After slinging the team's belonging's on his shoulder he turned around and rushed to the ladder that led to the outside. Right as Ash reached the foot, he turned back to face Sunflora, Bidoof, and Pikachu. Seeing as how none of them were moving toward him, he sighed and simply climbed up the ladder with even more vigor. Within a few seconds Ash was gone.

Nobody spoke for a few seconds and Pikachu just slumped onto the floor, all of his energy and vigor drained out of him.

"That's not good," Bidoof spoke tenderly. "I hope he'll be alright?"

"Does he usually do that?" Sunflora asked. "Like, go off on his own without you?"

"N-no, he…" Pikachu tried to answer, but truth be told, they did only meet just yesterday. "I don't know really. This is the first time he's been so serious about something."

"I dunno if something is wrong with him, but having visions isn't normal, yup-yup!" Bidoof quipped. "It's not your fault for not believing him."

"Maybe, but it will be my fault if something bad happens to him!" Pikachu argued. "I should've gone with him anyway!"

"Don't worry about a thing!" Sunflora smiled, patting Pikachu on the back. "Ash is just overreacting, so he's not going to be in any real danger! He'll probably be coming back very soon!"

"That sounds about right, yes-sirree!" Bidoof agreed.

Pikachu on the other hand wasn't too comforted by the possibility that Ash would be okay, but he also didn't want to abandon his belief that Marill and Azurill were never in any real danger in the first place. Added to the fact that there was definitely gonna be tension between the two of them when Ash gets back, Pikachu didn't really know what to do.

"Come on, Pikachu!" Bidoof encouraged the new apprentice. "Let's go ahead and pick out a nasty criminal to bring down! Sunflora and I can form a team so we'll beat them no problem!"

"Oh my gosh, yes!" Sunflora squealed with delight. "And after we get back we can meet up with Ash and be friends again! Sound good?"

"Yeah… I guess," Pikachu conceded. It wasn't like he could predict the future or sense impending doom, but something kept nagging at him because Ash had gone without him.

**[Afternoon] Mt. Bristle (Bristle Woods)**

Blurs and blurs of green passed by in a flash. Had you asked the small blue Pokémon who ran through the thicket of forest to do the same just yesterday he simply wouldn't be able. Thanks to the advantages of Foresight, the easiest path to the nearest mountain range was plotted and clearly marked. What wasn't easy to plot was why Ash just abandoned the only soul who reached out to him since his transformation.

"Huff… huff," Ash panted, slightly desperate for air after running for quite a while. "I need… I need to rest a bit."

Fortunately, the illuminated path between tree trunks, branches, and fallen foliage also included a slightly open area where the sun filtered through. It seemed like as good a spot as any for a break. Out in the distance Ash spotted the tip of an ominous looking mountain, which he guessed the trio of Marill, Drowzee, and Azurill were headed toward.

Ash slowed to a stop right as the sun broke through the canopy and unslung the bag on his shoulder. He sat down on the grass and fallen leaves to recollect his breath.

"Man… exploring places was much easier with Pikachu," Ash heaved. "We could just pace through the dungeons instead of running to them."

Ash didn't usually talk to himself, at least that's how the newly made Pokémon figured since he couldn't actually remember much about being human. He just guessed that talking aloud wasn't something he usually did. He figured that meant something was off, that something was wrong.

"Of course something is wrong!" Ash growled in frustration. "Azurill is in trouble and I'm the only one doing anything about it!

"Why doesn't Pikachu care?" Ash muttered to himself in frustration. He took a twig from the ground and snapped it cleanly in half. "Why didn't he come with me when I asked?"

One twig snapped. Then another. Then another again. Just when the splintering of dried wood started developing a tempo, Ash looked at the Explorer's Bag placed right next to him and he couldn't help but stare. He threw the unharmed twig aside and picked up the bag, picking inside and pulling out the Explorer's Badge. It glinted in the scarce sunlight and reflected sunlight in lots of directions.

_Ash? Haha, that's a funny name!_

_Let's do this! Let's form an exploration team!_

"What am I doing?" Ash whispered to himself, remembering the promise he made with that little electric mouse on the shores of Treasure Town. "God, I… I left Pikachu back there."

Ash turned the badge over and saw how both Pikachu and his own name were carved into the back.

"Maybe I should've waited till he understood," Ash wondered regretfully. He frowned at the metal knowing that it wasn't gonna give him an answer. "Maybe I should've tried harder, but—"

Then he remembered the frightening scene play back in his mind. He could still feel the fear emanating from Azurill, the menacing intimidation of Drowzee, even the feelings of helplessness in the entire area. Ash balled the badge into his fist and roughly slammed it into his knee. He didn't want things to turn out like this.

"Look, I know what I saw! I _know_ Azurill's in trouble!" Ash told himself sternly, letting the vision replay itself opaquely in his mind. "I know—I know what I saw! I know that I'm right but…"

At that moment a soft breeze wafted through the forest, lightly chilling Ash's fur as he sat in the shade. It's like without anyone there to cheer him up, he felt cold. All the warmth in him was gone, replaced by some kind of empty void. A shiver went down the little Riolu's spine and he folded his arms over his shoulders.

"I'm alone… I'm completely alone…"

The breeze rolled in like a mild gust sending even more chills through the Pokémon's body. When the breeze subsided Ash stood up, looked up into the treetops, and tried as hard as he could to remember anything about how he got into this mess. That proved quite difficult, not only since his memory was shot, but the guilt of leaving Pikachu behind kept weighing on him

"What was I like when I was a human?" Ash asked himself. "Did I ever treat others like this? Did I treat my friends like this? Did I… even have friends?"

He brought up the metal badge once again, noticing how the sunlight didn't hit its mirror edge. It was in shadow.

"After what I did to Pikachu I," Ash paused, feeling some tears build up. "Even I wouldn't want to be friends with me…"

With the last words he said to Pikachu still rebounding in his brain, he let a single drop fall out of his eye and held the Explorer's Badge close to his chest. After a short moment he wiped the tear away and turned back to the Explorer's Bag, resolving to make things right again.

"Pikachu… I'm so sorry!" Ash whispered to himself as he stored the badge back in the bag. "I'm gonna apologize the minute I get back to Treasure Town!"

And then just as the Riolu slung the Explorer's Bag around his shoulder again, ready to resume the search, he heard a faint, timid voice talking to itself somewhere.

"Huh?" Ash whispered. "Who's there? Foresight!"

After activating his enhanced vision with the new move he learned, Ash saw a decibel meter wavering somewhere up ahead. He paused to let his eyes gather more light and the faint outline of a plump round mouse shone through.

"Oh no… where are they? Where did they go?" the blue Pokémon stammered as he paced back and forth.

"Marill?" Ash yelled out as he approached through the trees.

"Oh it's Ash from before!" Marill yelped in surprise, hardly expecting to run into anyone familiar out here. "What are you doing here?"

"I was going to ask you the same question!" Ash said, looking around with Foresight still activated. He couldn't find any sign of the other two Pokémon. "Where are Azurill and Drowzee?"

"Yeah about them, I," Marill shied away, stubbing his paws together nervously. "Well after we left treasure town we went looking for our lost item together. Somehow I wound up all by myself and I couldn't find either of them! So I tried calling them and again and again but… but they didn't come back! I got scared…"

"I really hoped this wouldn't happen!" Ash cursed himself under his breath. "Which way did they go?"

"Th-that way!" Marill exclaimed, pointing towards the looming mountain behind him. "Did you come here to—"

"—Marill, you have to run back to Treasure Town right now and tell the Wigglytuff Guild what's happened," Ash urged with an edge of desperation in his voice. "If you can, find Pikachu and tell him to get to Mt. Bristle and to bring backup!"

At that Ash put all the energy he could into his hind legs and sprinted with all of his strength toward the Mt. Bristle entrance.

"Wait!" Marill cried out. "What should I tell Pikachu?"

Ash pondered for a split second, slowing his run to a halt. He gazed back at Marill with his worried expression wondering if his little brother was going to be alright. Ash knew that this message could be the one chance they had to save the little Azurill.

Ash thought of the moment when they met on the beach.

"Tell him I'm sorry…"

He thought of the very first time they ate together.

"Tell him I never meant to run off without him, tell him that we're still gonna be the best Exploration Team ever…"

And he thought of the first time they brought down an enemy, as a team.

"Tell him he's the best thing that's ever happened to me!"

* * *

**Dear Readers,**

Big, big thanks to my beta, **Failisse**!

So when I started writing the Mystery Dungeon sequences, I did not have the original script to go off of, so that left me three options: A) make the whole thing up from scratch by memory, B) play the game again and copy the script down, C) watch people play it on YouTube and then skip to the story content. I elected to go with option C and that has saved me an ass load of time. Imagine playing through MD II all over again! Sheesh! Credit for playing and recording the video goes to Japancommercials4U2.

This particular section, the introduction of the Guild, the first few visions and then the pursuit of Drowzee, I had it all planned out for only two chapters. Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony. So now you guys get three chapters of MD II goodness! Furthermore, with this once per week update schedule we should be right as rain as far as keeping your attentions assuaged.

At the time of writing this note I have finished up Beta Reading for WUT's Road to Be a Pokémon Master, Chapter 17. I've got to say, there's something really liberating about being on the editing side and seeing another dude's baby take flight and you just watching proudly. It's super nice. Then again it came at a cost of 13,000 words per chapter. -_-

And no, I have not played _TimeSplitters_ but if Crytek's other work is anything to go on, I'm definitely gonna have to do some investigation there.

If you'd like me to edit your work, please send me a PM! I don't bite, just ask WUT!

-TestSubject069

* * *

**Story Notes:**

N/A

* * *

**Sources:**

Mystery Dungeon II: Explorers of Sky – user/Japancommercials4U2 | search 'Explorers of Sky Playthrough' and you'll get all the parts

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Completed, 05/31/13

Uploaded, 06/15/13

| Ash and Pikachu actually split apart/friendship is tested/ash wonders if he was like that as a human/good to strain their relationship instead of it being bubbly all the time |

RE: edit. 06/14/13

| Fallisse's Beta edits |


	34. Partners in Time

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Partners in Time**

Everybody's got some kind of quirk that makes them unique. Some people say nonsensical words in their sentences like "you know", or "like", or "believe it". Others snore really loudly, others more bite their nails. In any case, this little tick makes us unique while also simultaneously annoying someone else to no end. Pokémon worked the same way. Either they'd add nonsensical words in their sentences, or snore, or bite their nail, or any other number of things. But in Pikachu's case, his particular quirk was habitual pacing back and forth.

**[Late Afternoon] Treasure Town (Wigglytuff's Guild)**

You see, the trio of Bidoof, Sunflora, and Pikachu were waiting for the Outlaw Notice Board to be updated. The board itself rotated on a hinge that could be pushed forward to make it spin around. Then, the guild member who received the relevant job notices would tack them onto the board while also removing the completed jobs. The Pokémon in charge of that task was Dugtrio, Diglett's father, who had just returned from a job of his own. Now the anatomically separate trio on the other side of the door was waiting to pick out an outlaw hunt for them to complete together in Ash's absence.

"Shucks, Pikachu!" Bidoof exclaimed in exasperation. "You don't need to keep pacing around like that… you're starting to make me nervous just thinking about him."

"Oh my gosh, Bidoof's right!" Sunflora squeaked as well. "Could you please stop walking in a circle like that? My head is already spinning!"

"I'm sorry you guys," Pikachu muttered as he wandered in another circle. "I just feel so bad about letting Ash leave without any help, you know what I mean?"

"Not really," Bidoof apologized, starting to grow worried about the little electric mouse. "I mean, guild members take solo missions every once in a while, yup-yup."

"Exactly," Sunflora added. "In fact, Bidoof even managed to explore his way through Star Cave all on his own just a week ago. And even _I've_ taken some jobs without a partner."

"It's not that simple!" Pikachu retaliated, finally stopping in his tracks to explain himself. "You see, he's not from around here so he doesn't know his way around this place very well. He absolutely needs someone like me to make sure he's still safe! Just because of that alone I feel guilty for letting him go on his own…"

"But there's more to it than that, isn't there?" Bidoof questioned tenderly.

"He's…" Pikachu began, trying to form the words in his head before he spoke. But as he really thought about it, the reality of his relationship to Ash was a lot more important that he first acknowledged. With each word that formed in his mind, even more guilt shoved its way into Pikachu's stomach. He felt sick.

"He's important to you, isn't he," Sunflora suggested.

"He's more than important to me… he's the first real friend I've ever had," Pikachu finally finished his thought. As he said it, he brought his paws up to the cloth around his neck, feeling the texture and remembering how Ash let him take it as a gift. "He's my first real friend and I took a stranger's side instead of his… just so I could stay as an apprentice in the guild… I mean what kind of Pokémon does that?"

Bidoof and Sunflora looked on sadly as Pikachu rubbed his face with his paws in shame. He realized just how much of a blunder he'd made in the last few moments and he felt worse by the second. For goodness sake, Ash even helped Pikachu get his treasured Relic Fragment that was now safe in their dormitory! How could he have taken Ash so much for granted? However, before Pikachu could further think about how much he screwed up, a well-rounded loud voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"Does it really matter?"

"Wah!" Bidoof cried out in surprise. "M-master Wigglytuff, sir!"

"Guildmaster!" Sunflora piped up.

"Well, Pikachu?" Wigglytuff asked, respectfully deflecting all the attention he got and redirecting it to Pikachu. "Does it matter what kind of Pokémon doesn't stick with his friends at first? Or does it matter what kind of Pokémon recognizes his mistakes and tries to correct them?"

"I…" Pikachu stammered, knowing the answer but not wanting to sound entitled. "I want to make it up to him, Guildmaster but—"

"—Hmm?" Wigglytuff hummed with curiosity. "But what?"

"Um, aren't rookie apprentices supposed to be given jobs and told where to go?" Pikachu asked timidly, unsure if there was an unwritten code or something. "I thought we're not supposed to run off on our own, or else… we'd be thrown out of the Guild?"

"What are you talking about?" Wigglytuff asked in genuine surprise. Then he flung his arms up in the air and popped the widest grin Pikachu had ever seen in his life. "You're not rookie apprentices anymore!"

"Huh?" Pikachu wondered, thrown back by Wigglytuff's over-the-top enthusiasm. "But! I thought—!"

"You're a fully-fledged exploration team in my guild!" the Guildmaster sung in a celebration voice. "Since your Explorer's Rank is now at level Bronze, you're allowed to choose the jobs you want to do at any time!"

"Whaaat!" the little mouse complained, aghast with this ex post news. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Hmm, must've slipped my mind I guess! " Wigglytuff piqued, humming a little tune to himself as he left for his office.

"Oh my gosh, that was so nice of him…" Sunflora marveled once the Guildmaster was out of earshot.

"Golly," Bidoof gasped. "That was so inspiring!"

"Um, what just happened?" Pikachu asked meekly. First of all he wasn't quite sure what to do; run after Ash immediately or celebrate an increase in team rank.

"Well according to the HAPPI regulations, you can't actually be a Bronze level exploration team without receiving the physical badge through the Pelipper Mail Delivery," Bidoof explained to the best of his ability.

"But it seems the Guildmaster doesn't want those formal rules to get in the way!" Sunflora squealed in excitement. "He just gave you permission to go look for Ash!"

"Wow…" Pikachu breathed slowly, trying to take in this newfound responsibility. Now that he knew the team wasn't officially Bronze level, he knew it was even more essential to get this done correctly. "Okay, no more mistakes! I made one with Ash just a while ago, but I'm gonna make it up to him and apologize the moment I can!"

Bidoof and Sunflora nodded enthusiastically, proud to see the new recruit already apply himself so well. In one fluid motion, Pikachu properly adjusted the Special Scarf, and turned toward the exit. Before he could even take another step, a tiny squeak quickly sounded off from the Sentry Duty tunnel, immediately followed by a ground shaking bellow.

"Pokémon detected! Pokémon detected!"

"Whose footprint? Whose footprint?"

"The footprint is little Marill's! The footprint is little Marill's!"

"Marill?" Pikachu yelled in shock. "Azurill's bigger brother?"

Within no time at all, a plump blue mouse slid so fast down the guild ladder he surely had rope burn. Poor thing was sweating profusely and hopelessly out of breath.

"Huff… huff… has anyone seen Pikachu?" Marill wheezed hastily while trying to shout at the same time. "Pikachu!"

"Here! I'm here, Marill!" Pikachu asked urgently as he ran up to the little kid. "What's wrong? Didn't you go off to look for your lost item?"

"Yes, huff… we did," the blue Pokémon replied. "But I got separated from Azurill and Drowzee along the way!"

"Really? Are they okay?" Pikachu hurried.

"Huff… I," Marill paused, collapsing onto his belly out of exhaustion. "I don't know!"

Pikachu's jaw unhinged and his eyes widened with understanding. The little electric mouse was praying that there wouldn't actually be trouble coming out of this situation, but Marill's desperation and Ash's sudden departure made the crisis all the more real. This was very, very bad.

"Ash _wasn't_ lying," Pikachu whispered harshly, chastising himself for not believing. "He actually saw a vision about those two! That makes two things I have to apologize for! Everyone, I'm leave—"

"Stand clear! Updating listings!" yet another yelled, this time with a gritty, earthy accent. "Stand clear! Updating listings!"

"What's happening?" Pikachu asked the other apprentices.

"Dugtrio's finished updating the Outlaw Notice Board, yup-yup!" Bidoof replied, happy that he was really getting a hang of things around headquarters.

"Marill, is there anything else you can tell me?" the electric mouse urged. "Like did Drowzee say where he was leading you to?"

"M-Mt. Bristle!" Marill stammered, finally catching his admittedly short breath. "He said that our item was somewhere near the top but—"

"That's good enough for me," Pikachu cut the little kid off, tired of being wrong, and tired of being interrupted from correcting it. "Alright everyone, I'm leaving for Mt. Bristle before this gets any more out of hand!"

"Wait Pikachu," Bidoof called out before Pikachu could even take a single step to the ladder. "We're coming with you!"

"Why?"

"Look…" Sunflora quivered as she pointed toward the board.

Pikachu darted to the outlaw board and his face paled at the sight. What he saw froze his muscles and locked his bones in place. On the board, right up there with the nastiest of the nasty, a mug-shot of a particular psychic Pokémon was displayed with a giant B criminal rating. Drowzee was a full-on _outlaw_.

Ash really wasn't joking around.

"No more time to waste, let's go!" Pikachu nodded abruptly, steeling himself for the trouble ahead.

"Before you go!" Marill called out to the three Pokémon hustling to the exit. "Ash found me as he was headed toward Mt. Bristle!"

"You saw him? Did he say anything?" Pikachu asked just as he grabbed onto the first rung of the ladder.

"Yes, he told me to run back to the guild as fast as I could, and… he wanted me to tell you something!"

**[Late Afternoon] Mt. Bristle, Lv. B7**

"AAAGH!" a giant boulder-like Pokémon roared as he launched his hardened body off the cavern ceiling.

As the yells bounced and rebounded again off the cave walls of Mt. Bristle, Ash tightened his focus for the incoming rock-type collision. Fortunately he could see his opponent thanks to the engaged vision enhancements of Foresight, but the right move response would require precise timing. He threw the Explorer's Bag lightly to the side and fell into a defensive fighting stance.

"You're no match for my Tackle!" the Geodude bragged from high in the air with only inches to contact. "You're—_huh_?"

"You fell for my Counter!" Ash yelled triumphantly as he leapt backward with his back parallel to the ground at just the right speed and height to match Geodude's Tackle. Just as the Geodude passed right above the little blue Pokémon, Ash tensed his legs and forearms, ready to strike.

"Take this!"

In one swift, perfectly timed moment, Ash landed one hand upon the ground, bent his elbows backward, and swung his right leg in a powerful roundhouse kick, smashing into Geodude like a football virtuoso in the human world.

SMASH.

A few pebbles loosened from the wall and dribbled to the floor, slowly followed by the rock Pokémon soon afterward. The knocked out Geodude didn't say a word, and that was perfectly fine with Ash. He picked up the Explorer's Bag once again, and deposited an item the opponent once held—a Pecha Berry.

"Gosh, I really hope Marill delivered my message…" Ash lamented, unsure if his words would actually reach the little mouse in time or at all.

"He's the best thing that's ever happened to me," Ash mumbled to himself as he shuffled toward where his intuition told him to. "I meant every word of that, but would he come?"

With the newly picked up items and spare change from the dungeon, Ash made quick time towards a corridor that seemed better lit at the end of it. With the correct assumption that that was the direction to the top of the mountain, Ash tried to jog his way there, but he could hardly take a few steps without feeling his stomach clench.

"If I find Drowzee at this rate," Ash wondered as the bag bounced off his legs to the pace of his trot. "I dunno if I could hold my own…"

"I can't dwell on that now," Ash huffed to himself as he continued to run. "I just hope he does come."

And just his luck, two burly looking Machop who were just loitering around suddenly starred Ash down. The atrium itself was relatively big, and the exit was a large ceiling hole that Ash supposed would lead him at least one floor closer to the peak. If only those Machop had thought about loitering in some secluded area, eh?

"Hey, you!"

"You don't look so tough!"

"Yeah?" Ash taunted back as he lightly let the Explorer's Bag slide off his shoulder for the second time in one minute. "Watch me."

**[Evening] Mt. Bristle (Mountain Base)**

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" Sunflora squealed as the trio of Pokémon explorers streaked through the Bristle forest. "How on Earth did Ash know that Drowzee was a bad Pokémon before we did?"

"He said he saw them in a vision?" Bidoof supplied, doing his best to keep up with the rest of the group. "_Golly_ I wonder how got that ability!"

"Doesn't matter to me," Pikachu stated with determination. "All I'm worried about is finding him before Drowzee does!"

Within only another minute, the trio had finally reached the base of Mt. Bristle. It was a relatively unimpressive mountain, probably only a couple thousand meters high, but it did tower over most of the near region. Behind the main mountain was a mountain range system of hills and smaller mountains, but the area that contained a mystery dungeon was in fact the tallest of the tips.

"Here we are, yup-yup!" Bidoof announced with a huff. "Mt. Bristle base."

"Alright, I'll go up this way, you guys go that way," Pikachu directed with a small measure of authority. "Hopefully one of us is gonna catch up to Ash and Azurill before it's too late."

"Eek, let's find us a villain!" Sunflora agreed with a nod.

"Golly, here we go!" Bidoof sounded off, happy to begin another job so quickly.

On the other hand, Pikachu exhaled quickly and ran off in the opposite direction. As he felt the cloth of the Special Scarf whip at his fur, he reminded himself that this was not only his fault, but his responsibility to fix.

"Hang on Ash! Please hang on!"

**[Dusk] Mt. Bristle, Peak**

At that very moment, Ash felt a shiver shoot through his spine from head to toe. Whether it was caused by the quick updraft of wind or some other supernatural reason he didn't know. Whatever the case, Ash had made it to the very top of Mt. Bristle, a very windy and desolate place.

"Hah… hah…" Ash wheezed heavily, practically dragging the Explorer's Bag at his heels. Nevertheless he kept moving. "I made it… but where are Drowzee and Azurill? Am I late? Or am I early?"

It was at that point Ash realized he didn't know exactly when the events of his vision were gonna present themselves, but he decided to make himself ready for anything. The mountain peak of Mt. Bristle resembled a plateau rather than a pointed peak. This was probably caused by some avalanche or seismic event in the past such that half of the peak sliced itself off and fell down to Earth. All what was left was a pretty much flat level with large and mid-sized boulders dotting the area. At any rate, the wind up at the top was quite intense but Ash enjoyed the breeze, all things considered.

The little Riolu who'd come all the way up here on his own deposited the Explorer's Bag in a relatively secluded-looking corner and let himself take a breather. He couldn't actually look over the plateau because the boundary was marked by fallen boulders, so he carefully jumped to the edge where he could. Once he managed to reach the top of the pile of boulders, the scenery before him practically took what little breath he had left out of him.

Even though it was only a few thousand meters up, the view was profound. He could see the ocean clearly, noticed the lush, green forest that he passed through to reach here, and with a pang of emotion he recognized Treasure Town a little ways away from the cliff face called Sharpedo's Bluff.

"Wow…" Ash marveled at the sight. "_That_ is beautiful."

The sun was just about done for the day and remained hovering over the edge of the world all the way out there above the ocean level. It illuminated everything with a dazzling orange glow, bathing Treasure Town in brilliance. The little Riolu felt even a bit warmer with the last dregs of light, but the emotional core of his heart still ached after what happened all the way down there in Treasure Town.

"I wonder what Pikachu would've said if he were here," Ash whispered to himself. He recalled meeting that little mouse on the beach, hearing him describe the sunset then as a marvelous sight. "Are you're coming? Man, I've got so many things I need to say."

With that thought, Ash let himself collapse onto the ground, folding his legs together in a crisscross. The scene really complimented how he felt, the cold breeze reminding him how he treated his friend, but the warm sun assuring him that all will be just fine.

"I promise you, Pikachu. If I ever get out of this mess, I'll—hm?"

Footsteps. Ash distinctly heard footsteps coming from behind him, exactly where he had emerged not a minute ago. Two Pokémon were approaching; one making a sort of hopping sound first, followed by a much heavier lumbering shuffle. Drowzee and Azurill were here.

Not wanting to rush into this too quickly without a strategy, Ash remained where he was but slithered to the side, keeping out of the light but maintaining a close watch on the two Pokémon from above. If he was wrong, this was the last opportunity for that Drowzee to prove him so. Soon enough, the two Pokémon stopped moving. Azurill was looking around aimlessly, but Drowzee was calm and static.

"Uh-oh, it's a dead end!" Azurill exclaimed nonchalantly. "Excuse me, Mr. Drowzee? Where is my lost item? Could you show me where the item is now?"

The response was just a chuckle. Nothing more.

"Mr. Drowzee?"

"Ahh, sorry kiddo," Drowzee sighed with a heavily condescending tone. "Your lost item ain't here, that's for sure."

"Huh? It's not?" Azurill asked with a small measure of surprise. "What about… what about my big brother? Big brother's following us, right? He's coming soon?"

"Ehh, nope. I really doubt your big brother's coming anytime soon," Drowzee sighed again. He let out a quick chuckle once again. "I think I'll let you in on a little secret—this was all a trick."

"Wha-what? Huh?"

"Yep."

"S-so my item's not here?" Azurill timidly asked. Then the real fear started to show. "And big brother too?"

"Nobody," Drowzee sighed, seemingly enjoying how much disbelief played itself across the little Pokémon's visage. "No item, no big brother, nada. It's just us. We're completely alone."

"Mmmma… mmmma…"

"And on that note, there's a little favor I need to ask. See that hole behind you?" Drowzee methodically asked. He pointed towards a nearly indistinguishable crack in the wall behind Azurill. "Well… there's a rumor going around that a trove of thief treasure is inside! But as you can see, I'm too big to squirm my way through that hole."

Azurill could barely move, the little thing was shaking too badly. It was clear that he understood, but the little motor muscles in his body just shook uncontrollably.

"That's where you come in!" Drowzee intimidated lecherously. Just in case he wasn't specific enough he added one last thought. "Oh don't worry. Just do as I say, and I'll get you out of here back to your family."

"B-but...!"

"Go on, get going! I wish I didn't have to do this, but there's no other way!" Drowzee bellowed, scaring the living daylights out of the child. "Get in there and bring back the treasure!"

"WWAAHHHH!" Azurill screeched in tears. In a desperate hurry, Azurill ran past Drowzee back to the spot where the two emerged from. "I want my big brother!"

"Hey! Get back here!" Drowzee yelled, raising his right hand in a stopping motion.

In a fraction of a second, Azurill's retreating body stopped moving toward the exit but his legs frantically kept running as if it could gain traction. Drowzee was using telepathy on Azurill to keep him from getting away. Once again, Drowzee sighed but kept the telekinesis going.

"Sheesh! I said that I'll take you home when you're done!" Drowzee face palmed with the other hand while still levitating the child.

"WWAAHHHH! B-big brother!" Azurill cried in desperation, running even faster through the air but gaining no ground.

"If you keep being difficult, it will mean big trouble for you!"

"H-h-h-HELP!"

"_Hold it right there!"_

"Huh?" Drowzee asked, looking for the source of the sound. He looked up, but was temporarily blinded by the silhouette of a small Pokémon obscured by the setting sunlight. He didn't even realize that the Pokémon was holding a large bolder over his head.

"Let Azurill go!"

And just like that, Ash jumped high into the air and threw the boulder at Drowzee. With little to no time to react, Drowzee dropped Azurill onto the ground and re-directed his attention to the boulder. While the rock levitated, Azurill and his constantly running legs carried him away from the cliff face and down to the ninth floor in a flash. Azurill was safe.

Okay, it wasn't quite as the vision had shown this would play out, but Ash had seen and heard enough. This was go time. All he had to do now was buy Azurill enough time to escape and put Drowzee down for the count.

"H-how did you find this place?" Drowzee yelled in complete shock, still maintaining mental control on the boulder.

"That's none of your business you criminal!" Ash yelled defiantly. "I'm gonna take you down!"

"Hmph," Drowzee dismissed as he set the rock down to the side. "That seems really unlikely, kid! On whose authority? Who are you anyway?"

"I'm Ash. Ash from…" the Riolu replied hesitantly. "T-Team Pokédance of the Wigglytuff Guild."

"Pokédance? An Exploration Team?" Drowzee smirked, cocking an eyebrow high up into his forehead. "Bahahaha! Don't make me laugh! Where's the team at, hero? What team? I don't see anybody but you, shrimp!"

Ash bit his tongue, realizing that his claim seemed quite ridiculous considering the circumstances. On the other hand Drowzee let himself laugh at the absurdity of the situation, exhausting what leftover patience he had.

"Hehehe… That's right, I'm a wanted Pokémon with a bounty on my head," Drowzee agreed, stroking his snout with pride. "But you're no rescue team. You're just _one kid_!

"Maybe you're right…" Ash lamented, getting thoroughly irritated with Drowzee's cock-sureness. "After I treated my teammate like that I don't know how things will turn out between us, but that doesn't excuse what you've done! You're going down!"

"Oho, that's rich! I've been chased by all sorts of exploration teams in my day, but never a sorrier-looking bunch than you!" Drowzee bellowed again. Then the corners of his mouth curled into a giant smirk thanks to a sneaky idea that just formed in his head. "Tell you what? I'm feeling generous and you're much more competent than that Azurill punk! Why don't _you_ get that treasure out of the hole, and we'll just call it even?"

Nobody spoke, but Ash balled his paw into a fist denser than a neutron star.

"You make me sick," Ash spat on the ground. "You deserve to be locked up for a very long time!"

"How noble of you," Drowzee admired, but with heavy mockery in his tones. He reached around to the back of his neck, tightening the fine cloth even more. "But you're just kidding yourself! Ah well, it's been a while since I've had some _fun_!"

"AAAGH!" Ash yelled, running at the despicable character with all of his might.

Drowzee thought he had time to prepare, but he was proven wrong. At the speed Ash ran towards him, his movements were so fast that Drowzee couldn't even get a mental lock on before getting smashed in the cheekbone by a roundhouse kick.

"That was my Quick Attack!" Ash yelled as Drowzee got pushed back from the force. "How about another taste of my—agh!"

"Hmph," Drowzee sneered, maniacally levitating Ash into the air with his Psychic trademark. "You talk too much. Confusion!"

And then with the speed of a slingshot, Ash was thrown back against the wall near the peak entrance, slamming against the hard granite boulders and falling to the ground. With a quick cough of fluid, Ash dismissed the damage and sprung into a fighting stance again.

"Amateur," the criminal derided. Without a moment to waste he opened his mouth, sucking in a great volume of air, and then expelled it out of his snout with a nauseating purple-hued cloud. "Let's see if you can take me down!"

**[Evening] Mr. Bristle, Lv. B9**

"And stay down!" Pikachu yelled as the static electiricty discharged from his body. A dull thump later, the enemy stranger Starly hit the ground, twitched, then moved no more. "Phew… this special band rocks! But I've got to get to the peak as soon as poss—huh?"

He heard a small whimper.

"Hello?"

It happened again. Pikachu dashed to the source of the sound, perking his ears up to hone in on the source. Turns out, it was a small, blue sphere-like Pokémon who looked fearful for its life. Azurill is shivering in a dark corner of the Mt. Bristle caves.

"Azurill!" Pikachu called out. "Hey! You're safe!"

Azurill looked up at Pikachu and immediately closed his eyes tightly, obviously expecting someone much more dangerous to be looking for him. Seeing the distressed state the child was in, Pikachu gingerly reached out and smoothed Azurill's head over to calm him down.

" … it's okay. You're safe now," Pikachu assured. He looked around to make sure nobody was close-by to interrupt. "What happened?"

"M-Mr. Drowzee he…!"

"No way…" the little mouse sighed, understanding that the worst had come to pass after all. "So Drowzee did try something after all! Well it's good that you're safe. How did you get away?"

"Y-yeah," Azurill curtly nodded, still incredibly shaken by the ordeal. "I-it was Ash! He…"

"Ash?" Pikachu asked in shock. "You saw him?"

"H-he let me escape b-but—!"

"Where are they now?" Pikachu demanded. He helped Azurill up and patted him on the back to encourage some more information. "Can you take me to them?"

Azurilly hesitantly nodded and slowly but surely guided Pikachu to the Mt. Bristle peak. As soon as they neared the final corridor that led to the apex of the mountain range, Pikachu instructed the young child to wait as patiently as possible. Azurill agreed, having finally calmed down, giving Pikachu the signal to run like mad towards the final ascent.

**[Dusk] Mt. Bristle, Peak**

"Oh where are you, you little—! Hmph!"

Drowzee focused all of his mental powers once again as he just noticed another boulder on a collision course with his head. With a wave of his hands the rocks flew to the side just as other rocks flew towards him as well.

"Gah, show yourself!" Drowzee yelled menacing, trying to goad his opponent into revealing his position.

Instead more large rocks flew towards Drowzee but he kept deflecting them. Throw after throw was redirected away from his head but Drowzee was quickly becoming agitated. Just when he thought the barrage of rocks would never stop, it suddenly ceased and the outlaw didn't have to mentally shield himself any longer. His beady eyes shifted from left to right, trying to pinpoint where the attacks came from. All he saw were barren boulders and rock.

And then a breath. Drowzee heard breathing.

"Aha! There you are, you little runt!" Drowzee announced with triumph. He raised his arms once more, then imagined a small furry jackal hiding behind a boulder. Sure enough a small Pokémon rose from behind cover, writhing and screaming as he rose higher and higher.

"Let go of me you—!" Ash demanded, feeling the weight of Drowzee's Confusion crushing against his bones.

"Hehe," Drowzee laughed with mirth. "Have it your way, punk!"

With as much mental strength as he could muster, Drowzee psychically vertically threw Ash extraordinarily high into the sky, making him tumble in wild directions out of control. By buying himself some time before Ash crashed to the ground, Drowzee threw his trunk back, inhaled an enormous breath, and quickly exhaled it all through his trunk. Within seconds, most of the Mt. Bristle peak was covered in a noxious purple gas and Ash tumbled right through it into the unforgiving bedrock.

SMASH.

Ash was sure a rib or other bone must have broken, or at least one of his organs ruptured after that fall. He could barely move much less pick himself out of the rock cavity his limp body made on impact. Just when things couldn't get worse, Ash realized he was being pulled back into the air against his will, once again at the mercy of Drowzee's confusion.

"Wahahaha!" Drowzee gloated. He held a single hand up to levitate Ash just above the ground, letting the purple cloud surround his floating body. "_Nobody_ has ever survived this combination, kid! I've gotten away with so much crap thanks to this nifty trick I picked up! Feel the wrath of my Confusion and Poison Gas!"

The helpless, unprepared Riolu was barely on the edge of consciousness, much less comprehension. But when he heard Poison Gas, Ash desperately inhaled the last dregs of fresh air around him in a vain attempt to outlast the venom. Drowzee maintained Ash's position within the cloud of poison and began walking towards him.

"You won't survive this! Nobody has!" the criminal bragged mightily. But suddenly he furrowed his brow and spoke somberly. "I've robbed banks, I've pilfered tons of treasure, and I've taken what is rightfully mine—! Away from the… _bastards_ who made me do what I have to do!"

_What?_

What on earth was Drowzee talking about? Ash tried to wiggle himself free of Drowzee's grasp but he couldn't break out. Too much time had already passed and Ash could feel de-oxygenated blood rush to his desperate head.

"I've learned the hard way that life ain't easy, and life definitely ain't fair!" Drowzee questioned intimidatingly, putting psychic pressure on the levitating corpse. "And what about you, kid? What about now? Do you feel that now, huh? Huh, punk? _Do you_?"

With yet another psychic squeeze, Ash expelled the last remains of his dying breath, forcing him to inhale the noxious fumes of Poison Gas. It smelled foul and Ash's lungs instinctively attempted to reject the repugnant air.

"I deserve that treasure! I've gone through hell to get to where I am today!" Drowzee bellowed passionately. "I am a self-made man! I am honest! I am strong! And I have survived this terrible excuse for a world just to stand before you here and teach you a lesson for good!"

"You, agh…! Talk too much!" Ash coughed profusely, resigning himself to breathe in the toxic gas. His vision started to fail him and darkness threatened to overtake him.

Just when Ash was utterly convinced that he was going to pass out and die of blood poisoning, Ash felt the bottom drop out and his body dropped to the ground in a heap. Drowzee finally released Ash from his psychic hold but the gas remained all around him.

"Hmph… You probably think I'm a 'bad Pokémon' or something like that. Do you? Huh?" Drowzee scoffed, lowering his arms and completely dispelling the psychic technique. Instead of relaxing and ending the battle, the Hypnosis Pokémon narrowed his eyes in anger. "Let me tell you something that never occurred to your naïve mind. You think you're the good guy and I'm the bad guy here? Well I used to be just like you! I used to have dreams! I used to want to help Pokémon and save them from their misery!"

"But guess what happened to that? That all got shot to hell when those thugs came through my hometown! They bombed my home, took all of our things, and they killed my friends and family just because of some Tauros crap excuse! They said it was nothing personal, just that _time_ stopped where they used to live. Hah! _Time_? Yeah right!"

"What…?" Ash murmured to himself as he tried to push his body off the ground. He didn't know how much more of the gas he could take. "_Time stopped_?"

"And now, I am all I have left. Me and my town's most precious item, this scarf!" Drowzee yelled with a heavy heart, grabbing a fist-full of the object around his neck and raising it into the air. "That's why I live like I do! That's why I'm called a criminal! I'm a criminal just for surviving! I'm a criminal just for being alive!"

At this point Ash didn't know what to believe. Before this whole thing started he was sure that Drowzee was just bad and there was nothing more to it. He thought that everyone was either totally good or totally bad from the very beginning. But now after hearing Drowzee's tirade of how hard his life has become, he wondered if there really was such a thing as being a good guy or a bad guy.

But never mind that, Ash had to stand up and still take Drowzee down. With a brave heave Ash lifted his body off the ground onto his feet and ran out of the poisonous gas cloud. The first breath of fresh air in a whole minute partially revitalized him, but Ash was still totally out of breath. He tried to keep himself upright on his legs but his knees buckled.

"So I steal, I rob, and I trick kids into doing it," Drowzee admitted with finality, but showing no apology for it. "It ain't right and it ain't fair, and _I get_ that. But just like those bastards who changed my life forever, it ain't personal, and it ain't fair. That's life. Life ain't fair, it's worse than that! And now, get ready to experience life as it is and _always will be_!"

Before Ash could retaliate, Drowzee threw his arms toward Ash and he levitated him once again, this time with double the pressure from before. Ash couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't even yell in agony because the restraint was so intense. His vision finally failed him and darkness clouded his eyes.

"LIFE IS PAIN!" Drowzee yelled maniacally. "Life is nothing but pain! Do you feel it now, kid? Huh? Do you? _Do y_—gugyoguyohaagh!"

Without warning, Ash plummeted to the ground once again, limp from poison exhaustion and free from the telekinetic restraints. The little Pokémon barely clung onto consciousness but somehow he knew that someone had saved him from a terrible fate.

Ash tried his hardest to open his eyes and see what was happening, but it was nearly impossible. His eyelids felt so heavy and his body ached like his bones had grown spines and pierced his muscles from the inside. But even with all of those barriers, Ash still managed to open his eyes and see the most welcome sight he saw the entire day.

Drowzee was writhing in an electric field, courtesy of a powerful ThunderShock, delivered by an airborne Pikachu who leapt into the air towards his opponent. The little mouse was pouring as much electrical energy into that attack as he could without hesitating through the air above Ash.

Before the little Riolu could even keep up with Pikachu's movements, the little mouse landed right in front of Ash, protecting him from further attacks. Pikachu whipped his tail ferociously to clear the area of the toxic cloud and took the opportunity to revive Ash while Drowzee was incapacitated. Pikachu reached his paw out, Ash reached for it as best as he could, and Pikachu heaved his partner onto his feet.

"Wh… who are you?" Drowzee mumbled in pain, feeling his muscles spasm from the electric shocks.

"We… We are Team Pokédance!" Pikachu yelled nervously, looking straight at Drowzee ahead. With a small quiver in his voice, Pikachu wanted to make sure he even still had a partner. "Isn't that right, Ash?"

"You bet…" Ash wheezed, narrowing his eyes and suddenly feeling the strength to deliver one final blow. All of those thoughts of doubt were wiped away in an instant. "You ready to do this?"

"Just like before!" Pikachu affirmed, feeling alive at the prospect of being a team again. He squeezed his cheeks tightly together and loosed a concentrated string of electrons. "Thunder Wave!"

"Quick Attack!" Ash yelled out, forcing all of the leftover strength into his legs.

"Oh no!" Drowzee bemoaned. "I'm supposed to get that treasure! It's mine! It's—!"

"Now's your chance, Ash!"

"TAKE THIS!"

Ash took the final steps towards Drowzee and kicked off the ground into a leap. His Quick Attack propelled him into a high velocity tackle, but midway through the jump Ash felt the urge to ram his bare fist into the criminal's skull instead of ramming his body into it. Just as Ash drew back his arm, the palm of his hand began glowing with a greenish hue and sparked alive with energy.

"Is that…!" Pikachu wondered in the back. It looked like through all of the calamity Ash still managed to learn a new move.

BAM!

When Ash's palm connected with Drowzee's skull, his paw remained stuck for just a split second before an incredibly strong explosion emanated from the point of contact. The blast knocked Drowzee off his feet, Ash back into the air, and Drowzee's sash fluttered down to the ground. Simultaneously both Ash and Drowzee fell down to the ground: Drowzee in a spread eagle, Ash sliding backwards towards Pikachu in a heap.

Nobody spoke and not a sound could be heard except Ash's ragged breathing for a pregnant second. Pikachu's mouth was agape in awe and wonder and he could barely comprehend how surreal this feeling was. Team Pokédance took down a criminal _together_. Not minutes ago he wasn't even sure there actually was a Team Pokédance left! If he wasn't more concerned about Ash's failing health, Pikachu might have just leapt for joy once again, but instead he ran over to Ash's corpse to check on him.

"Ash!" Pikachu cried out as he collapsed next to the little Riolu. "Ash are you okay?"

"Pikachu… I'm…"

"Oh no, you're poisoned!" Pikachu cried out in a panic. "Hold on, Ash! Just hold on, Sunflora and Bidoof are coming! I'm sure they'll have—!"

"Pikachu, it's… it's alright," Ash croaked hoarsely. He could already feel his consciousness slipping for good, but he raised his arm up to Pikachu's paw and patted it reassuringly. "It's alright."

The little electric mouse didn't know what to do. Here the first friend he'd ever made in his life was in terrible pain, and it was all his fault. If only he'd _listened_, if only he'd _believed_ in his partner, if only he _tried to understand_ then this never would have happened! Oh he was so stupid, he was so naïve, why couldn't he have trusted his friend sooner? Pikachu wished he could tell Ash this and everything more all at once, but his mouth was failing him. He couldn't even say a word.

"We did it, Pikachu…" Ash mumbled. "We did it _together_…!"

He couldn't take it anymore.

"Ash I'm sorry!" Pikachu cried, letting tears of relief and joy and anguish and sorrow flow freely from him. "I'm _so sorry_! I'm so sorry I let this happen! I—"

"Pikachu…" Ash wheezed, knowing these would be his last words before finally passing out for good. "You know… I'm sorry too. For everything."

And that was all he needed to say. Pikachu gasped at his friend's words and realized how such a true bond existed between them. He couldn't help it. Pikachu smiled despite his sadness and self-pity, and Ash returned the gesture with a blissfully peaceful smile of his own.

Without a moment's hesitation Azurill, Bidoof, and Sunflora finally made it to the Mt. Bristle peak and marveled at what had transpired. Azurill leaped for joy that the bad Pokémon had been defeated, and Sunflora and Bidoof joined forces to carry Ash away from the battlefield. Once Pikachu scanned the area and found the team's Explorer's Bag all five Pokémon began the quick journey back to Treasure Town.

Everything was alright. They'd be home by dinnertime.

* * *

_**Dear Readers,**_

How'd you like that Mystery Dungeon min-arc! First of all, I duly apologize if the writing seems a little bit rushed or sloppy in some places. My real life situation has suddenly devolved into a FUBAR type scenario. It's not even Beta'd by my lovely beta **Failisse**! Lemme just paint you a picture:

I go to school in Washington, DC in the United States of 'Murica. I currently have a part-time job working for the university at about 30hrs / week. I am also taking three classes: 1) Political Scope and Methods, 2) Discrete Structures, and 3) Comparative Politics of Eastern Europe. I have two assignments due _today_, plus a Final Exam on Wednesday in Scope and Methods. I have an assignment due for Discrete Structures that the professor never actually covered in class due Tuesday. I have an assignment due Tuesday and an 8-10 page paper due on Thursday for Comparative Politics of Eastern Europe. Can you say #stressed?

Having said that, I'll still have plenty of time to work on my story by the time Friday rears its beautifully welcomed head. I really do want to maintain this upload schedule but I can't guarantee that it will be permanent.

As for the upload schedule, expect to see them on Mondays at 03:00am EST when fanfiction . net resets is clock because it's based in the Pacific time zone. We'll see if I can keep it up.

**It's time for TestSubject's Test Subjects!**

**About E3:** I am sure you've all been keeping a close eye on Sony, Microsoft, and everyone's favorite Nintendo during this gaming month of June. In my opinion, this was simply one of _the most_ hyper-charged E3's we've ever experienced and quite possibly one of the most game-changing events in all of entertainment history! This was the first time that a large corporation not only debated a rival company's selling points (or flaws) bit by bit, but also met and exceeded those expectation by making an offer that rationally/objectively cannot be refused. And not only that, the 'defeated' company actually caved into the public pressure on journalism sites and social media responses so much that their policies were officially changed not even two weeks after the convention was over. This is truly an exciting time for the video game industry AND the entertainment industry as a whole.

_Question: Are you getting the PlayStation 4, or the Xbox One? Also, if you have a personal opinion, are you a "fanboy/fangirl" of the company whose product you are buying? Also, how did you feel during Sony's press conference? Do you think this is the year where companies actually listen to the outcry of its consumer base? Or rather do you think this is just a further expression of the status quo?_

And finally: I'd like to introduce my secondary Beta project along-side **Analon**! His story, _Shadow Reincarnation_, is a truly unique addition to the Naruto fanfiction universe not only because its unique premise, but its intent to deviate from not only Kishimoto's original ideas but also the fanfiction community as a whole. It is truly, incredibly exciting. Please check out his work as well as _Sinnoh Revamped_ through my profile page links!

As always, stay #classy.

-TestSubject069

**P.S.** My own personal response to the E3 question is thus:

I will eventually be getting the PS4 and X1 eventually, but my initial buy will be the X1. I am a M$ fanboy and they are an incredibly evil and fragmented company. However, I wanted the X1 despite Sony's bid to steal me away from Microsoft anyway, and I also wanted it long before the outcry of DRM restrictions by the rest of the proletariat. I think what they are doing is bold and new and surely the way to go, but just like Nicolai Tesla, even the best ideas can't take off if only a few people can appreciate the vision behind the ideas.

This is definitely a year where consumers have a bigger impact on the direction companies take and the policies they make, but the announcement to reverse the DRM policies of the XB1 are, in fact, a return to normalcy. Where E3 was analogous to Sony's version of Russia during the Battle of Stalingrad (where they changed the course of the rest of the war in 1943), Microsoft's reversal of its DRM policies has shifted the console war momentum back to a situation reminiscent of trench warfare on the Western Front lines in 1914. The status quo unfortunately reigns supreme.

* * *

_**Story Notes:**_

N/A

* * *

_**Sources:**_

N/A

* * *

_**Author's Notes:**_

Completed, 06/23/13

Uploaded, 06/24/13

| introduced the idea of a tragic villain/will address later how anyone could become 'evil'/slightly rushed chapter/did not have time for beta edits/much to much to do in real life/update schedule strong |

RE: edit. 00/00/00


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